Back to you
by Miztical-Dragon
Summary: Sequel to Through the Well: When you find the one that you love, you would expect to be with them forever and life would be filled with happyness right? but what happens when they disappear down the well, taking your heart with them?[Complete] Deathfic
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Oh, yeah I don't own InuYasha but I do own the rights to this story save for the characters!**

_This is the Sequel to **"Through the well" **It is a Dark story. If you haven't read the previous story I suggest that you do or you may become more confused in the long run Thank you and enjoy!_

_**Back to you**_

_**By Miztikal-Dragon**_

_**Chapter one: Kagome and InuYasha**_

**_T_**he deep blue light soon died down before disappearing completely. Kagome waited patiently as her tear stained eyes adjusted to the inky darkness around her, she was in the well house. Looking around for a moment or two, Kagome searched for something that she could use to climb up. At first she saw nothing, but her gaze soon found little crater like steps leading up the well.

Sighing heavily she made her way up and quickly out of the well house and out into the open. She couldn't believe her own eyes. Everything was different; she could hear the faint sounds of cars as they drove at high speeds down the streets, it was noisy here.

'_Did I make the right decision leaving InuYasha?' _She asked herself as she walked silently to the house she once lived at which stood in the middle of the gigantic shrine. _'Well it's too late to go back now… I couldn't do that to myself, I couldn't do that to him..'_

In only a matter of minutes was Kagome inside her old home. Dust and white sheets still were there, left completely untouched. She carefully set down her things and decided that she could fix her old home up a bit, making it even slightly habitable place to live in. Hours slowly dragged on and a mixture of sweat, tears, and dust clumped to her once pale face. Deciding that after doing the living room, kitchen and three out of the four bedrooms Kagome went up the stairs and headed into the bathroom where she took a cold bath. Scrubbing her body until it was pink and raw, she tried to think about what she was going to do next now that she was where she belonged.

Kagome later dressed herself and went outside. By now it was late in the afternoon and nightfall would soon cover the sky. She quietly walked to the stairs in front of the Sunset Shrine and sat down. She hadn't realized it until now as she hugged her knees and watched the clouds, but she already was missing the clean air, the vast vegetation, the clear lakes, and most of all everyone that she had left behind. Thinking about now InuYasha was doing only after less than one day, Kagome began to weep. She needed to be there for her brother Sota when he got out of juvenile detention, she had to finish her education, and she needed to live before she could settle down; even if what she needed most was the one back through the well.

_**oOo **_

He didn't know how long it had been since he had cried, but it was coming out now. Everyone had been right, he had lost her. The ring that she had given him was clenched tightly in his hand; he would always keep it close for it was the only thing of her that he had left; besides all of the heart wrenching memories.

No matter how much he had tried to deny it, the truth was that Kagome had come, turned his world upside down and opened up his heart showing the hanyou that there was love in hell. InuYasha didn't know how he was going to be able to live without her, it would be hard, but some how he would try to go on waiting for that day. That one day when Kagome might return and love him like she said.

InuYasha slumped to his knees and let the tears trickle down his now pale face. He didn't notice that somebody was coming towards him, not until they laid their hand on his shoulder.

"It's going to be okay InuYasha," Sango said softly.

"I wish what you say is true.," he spat wiping his face and shrugging off Sango's hand. "But it won't! I screwed up Sango! I missed my chance at happiness… There's nothing left for me here."

"How do you know that what you say is true?" Miroku asked sternly, "Lady Kagome might come back. I mean she did say that she loved you and those are very powerful words don't you think?"

"I just do okay!" InuYasha growled angrily.

Quickly the Inu-hanyou got to his feet , knocking away the hands that tried to help him as he stumbled. The pain in his heart was too great, he had to get away from the well, so he ran. Leaping through the trees, passing the animals, all in the blink of an eye not paying any attention to where he was going or the scenery around him. He fled from everything that would keep him in his deepening depressant state, away from everything that he had once held so dear to his heart.

He wouldn't stop, no, he was beginning a brand new journey. This time he would travel alone, he wouldn't meet new people and let them tag along; he wouldn't find love and do anything for her love in return. No, this time he was going to start off alone and end the journey alone, if alive.

oOo

Kagome sobbed there on the steps of the shrine, not noticing that someone was walking up the stairs towards her. She was off in her own little world, oblivious to her surroundings and that the person was looming over her.

"Miss," a man said sternly. "You're not supposed to be here. It's private property."

Instantly her tears stopped and her head shot up, there in front of her stood a young police officer, his blue eyes stared seriously at her, his long black hair up in what seemed to be a ponytail, mostly hidden underneath his hat. This man reminded her of somebody with a quite familiar face.

"I know," she sniffled wiping her eyes. "I used to live here."

The officer grinned widely as he crouched down, his smile was oddly familiar, but from where she couldn't remember.

"Do you happen to be Kagome Higurashi?" He asked softly.

She only nodded, _'How did he know my name? I don't know any police officers, do I?' _She thought. Somehow she must have given him a confused look because he laughed then rested his hand gently on her shoulder.

"Someone's been searching everywhere for you since you and your father disappeared." He told her, "I'm glad that I found you."

The officer helped Kagome to her feet and let her lean on him as he slowly guided her down the never-ending amount of stairs. She was so tired and relieved that the police officer had found her. Moments later they reached his squat car and the authority figure graciously helped Kagome into the back seat. She sat there silently as the officer drove, he had explained to her that they would be going to the station where she would be released into the custody of a family relative.

Kagome yawned tiredly as the rather young man kept on talking about just everything, trying to keep a good conversation she guessed. As the trees quickly passed, light street after light street, multiple pedestrians, her eyes closed and she fell into a much-needed sleep.

Her peaceful slumber had only seemed to last merely minutes as a pair of strong yet gentle hands grasped her shoulders shaking her slightly.

"Miss Higurashi," he said softly. "Wake up…We are at the station."

_**oOo**_

His long silver hair fluttered violently as he kept up his pace, it was already late into the afternoon. They hanyou had traveled countless miles and he didn't even keep track of which way would eventually take him home. He didn't care, all he had now was the unnerving sensation to run, to run and never stop no matter what, he had to keep on running.

As soon as the sun began to set, InuYasha slowed down indefinitely, his senses were starting to diminish, along with his strength. His once radiant silver locks of hair slowly darkened and turned to jet-black. The once bright and intense amber eyes faded into a hallow violet, brimming with the stress that he was feeling. The triangular dog-ears, his pearly white fangs and his long and sharp talon like claws retracted into his body. By the time it was completely dark, our miserable hanyou was human…

InuYasha went to leap into the trees, but collapsed to his knees in exhaustion. His chest heaved as he breathed heavily, the sweat glistened on his tanned features, a snarl on his face as he clenched his fists and pounded them into the ground.

A lone figure stood in the shadowy darkness, watching intensely as InuYasha transformed. Her long black hair blowing in the wind, her piercing maroon eyes drinking up the sight of the now human Inu-hanyou. She could sense his frustration, his pain of heartbreak, and his sorrow, that's what had drawn her to him. This would fulfill the prophecy that Naraku had foretold to her. Her smile eloped into an evil smirk.

"This will be fun," she whispered into the wind.

He had sensed the female that watched him, but ignored her none the less. She was human, even if she was a miko and a pretty powerful one at that, he wouldn't care. If she wanted to destroy him, he would voluntarily hold out his own wrists for her to slice, he would tear off his haori and hand her tetsusaiga and let her decapitate him. If that was what she wanted to do, he would let her because he felt like he wanted to die.

'_What about Kagome?'_ He asked himself, _'What if she comes back for me?'_ He tried to shake her from his mind, but he couldn't. He would have to live just incase she did return.

"I know you're behind me!" He growled, "What do you want human!"

_**oOo**_

_**First person point of view:** Kagome_

I sat there on a hard and cold chair inside the chief of police's private office. I had freaked out a little after I had entered the station. Everyone thought I was crazy, but the young officer tried to reassure me that I was just traumatized, yeah right traumatized my ass; they just don't understand what I've been through, what I've suffered.

The young officer and I had just entered the station, he had his arm draped comfortingly around my shoulder, but his touch somehow made me feel disgusted, there was something about him that made me cautious around him; like at any minute he would pounce on me and do unspeakable things to me. I swear we got along fine and everything was dandy, that was until we passed the other officers, that's where it went wrong.

"Hey Koga!" A fat and lethargic man called from behind the clerk's desk, "Who's the woman?"

"Yeah Ookami!" Another one said, but he was mysteriously at my side eyeing me like a piece of meat, "did you find another crack whore on the street corner again?"

I gasped and recoiled into the young officer's arms, trying to hide myself from these perverted men's glares, they were practically leering at me with deranged lust. I could feel my savior grip me tightly and hear his clear voice.

"Shut up you two old bastards!" He snapped, "she isn't a crack whore! She's the Higurashi girl that's been missing for a little less than a month!"

I could then feel him pulling me someplace, probably to sit down, I felt like my head was going to burst from all the anxiety that I was feeling. Suddenly I felt warm, the hot breath on my neck made me shiver and I swore that he chuckled as his lips touched one of my ears.

"Don't worry," he said huskily. "You're with me now…"

And that's when everything came together, this Koga Ookami, he reminded me of that man who had tried to kidnap me; he had called me 'his angel'. I had thought of the deranged man with dark colored long hair and bright blue eyes, he had wanted to make me his mate, yeah right like I'd go for that. But InuYasha came after him, he had been there to save me.

So, I flipped out and I did the unspeakable, yet oddly similar; I kneed the young officer and tried to escape, fat chance.

_**oOo**_

"I don't want anything," she replied coyly. "I was searching for medicinal herbs and I happened to see you collapse." She lied but continued, "and as a priestess I've come to make sure you're okay."

InuYasha tried to get to his feet, but fatigue was settling in. "Cut the crap!" He snarled, "I know that's nothing but a line of bull!"

"Believe what you wish, but I know exactly what I was doing." She said eyeing the weakened human.

He tried yet again to get to his feet and after a minute or so of struggling, he was able to stand. The now human InuYasha glared angrily at the mysterious priestess, something about her made his stomach churn. He believed that she was no ordinary priestess and if he was right, he didn't want to be standing by her any longer.

"Who are you!" It was more of a demand than a question.

"Oh, so you're curious now," she laughed walking towards him at a very slow pace. It wasn't as if he could run. "Anyway, I am Tsubaki, I'm a loyal priestess in the village of Kai and who might you be?"

"That is none of your concern wench!" InuYasha growled as he turned his back on the priestess and slowly began to limp back in the direction that he had come from.

"What a rude little hanyou," Tsubaki cooed. "You really need to learn your manners InuYasha…"

Stopping dead in his tracks, InuYasha turned to the priestess and faced her; a confused and angry look on his facial features. Tsubaki smiled coyly as she stared unblinking at the transformed hanyou. Her black priestess robes and her ebony long hair fluttered violently in the air as her hands came together as if she was going to pray.

InuYasha watched as the priestess closed her eyes and began to chant. His own eyes widened in horror as he realized whom this woman was. She was a dark priestess, but how she was alive? It was impossible because InuYasha had slain her with his own claws many years ago.

_**oOo**_

Kagome ran from the room that Koga, the young police officer had escorted her into, she had to get away. As she passed the two men from before, a hand shot out and grabbed her wrist. She was whirled around and was instantly faced with a pretty pissed off police officer, his face was too skinny for his over weight body, and his pudgy hand was cutting off the circulation to her hand.

"You stupid girl!" He growled, "didn't your daddy ever teach you any manners!"

She cowered in front of the officer, trying to break free, but just waiting for him to strike her. For Kagome knew the abusive type, she knew what to look for and right about now this man's temper was ablaze. She could sense his aura and it was practically suffocating her.

"That will be enough Risol!" A voice said sternly.

Everything around her was quiet and Kagome was practically holding her breath for what seemed to be a few minutes before the man named "Risol" released her, grumbling something that she couldn't decipher and to her guess walking away. Sighing heavily, Kagome reluctantly opened her yes, instantly spotting a man a few feet away from herself.

He was pretty tall and lean, the gray showed in his auburn hair and was brushed elegantly to the side. He must have been somebody important and high ranking because he wore a comfortable looking deep navy blue business suit. There was a faint sign of wrinkles and crows feet next to his intense and dark eyes.

"You must be Miss Higurashi," he said gently. "Sorry about my officers. Sometimes they get too excited and forget themselves!" He looked at her before adding, "I'm the chief of police, Satoru Reiki."

He extended his hand to her and Kagome glanced down at his palm for a minute, then she reluctantly took it into hers and shook it.

"Kagome Higurashi," she whispered meekly.

"Follow me," Satoru told her. "You can wait for your guardian to come in my private office.."

Kagome nodded and quickly followed the man as he headed towards his office away from the leering officers.

_**oOo**_

"Why aren't you dead!" InuYasha yelled, "I killed you! I killed you with my bare claws eleven years ago!"

Tsubaki smirked evilly as her eyes glared holes into the human in front of her. Yes, it had been true that he had ripped her to pieces, literally; but she had been reborn! Naraku had given her life not even two weeks from this point and time, and now that she was back, she had plans for the Inu-hanyou.

"Yes yes, Inuyasha." She said emotionlessly waving his shocked tone as if it was a mere fly, "Don't have a heart attack. I died, no biggy! It's not as if I just 'poofed' out of thin air ya' know."

His eyes narrowed as he glared at the evil priestess. _'I'll just have to kill her again is all.'_ He told himself, cracking his knuckles completely forgetting that he was in his human from and at the brink of physical exhaustion. Tsubaki began to laugh, more or less like cackle at InuYasha's actions.

"Do you honestly believe that InuYasha?" She chuckled, "you can barely stand, let alone even try and kill me again. Besides InuYasha, what power do you have as a human? You're completely useless and weak. That's why that young maiden left you, ha! That's why she mysteriously disappeared down that bone eater's well!"

The dark priestess almost keeled over with laughter as InuYasha took an uneasy step in her direction. Immediately her eyes grew dark, they became black as a few silent words slipped from her pursed lips. The human InuYasha cried out holding his head as he collapsed to his knees. There was a blinding pain in his head, it was as if Tsubaki was trying to break into his mind, but he tried to fight against it.

Slowly she walked up the his side, placing one of her cold and dead hands on InuYasha's shoulder. She knelt down and looked deep into his eyes, a smile on her facial features.

"A word of advice InuYasha," she cooed eerily. "Always expect the unexpected." that's when InuYasha's eyes closed and it all became dark.

_**oOo**_

A few hours had passed by and Kagome waited patiently, her hands in her lap, her eyes focused on the door a few feet away from where she had been sitting. Someone had missed her a lot and put out a search for her. Who ever the person was must have cared dearly for her and wanted her found. Now she would have to wait impatiently until that person was notified of her being at the police station and come down to pick her up.

'_Who could my guardian be?'_ Kagome asked herself, _'Who do I know who would spend a lot of time and money just to see me home and safe?'_

Kagome was thinking deeply when shadows could be seen in front of the door and two men could be faintly heard as they spoke to one another in low masculine voices.

"Is she really here?" One man asked impatiently, "did you really find my Kagome?"

"Yes Mr. Higurashi," Kagome recognized the chief's voice. "We really did find her. She is right in my office. Since all the paper work has been filled out, you can just take her home. She's had a rough day and looks a little shaken up. The poor lass might need a good night's sleep."

She kept her eyes on the door as the knob slowly turned. It seemed as if time was purposely standing still, but the door slowly opened and a tall figure loomed in the entrance. He was the exact opposite of her father. His eyes were an emotion filled chocolate, his long dark brown hair was tied up in a low ponytail, hanging lifelessly. He wasn't muscular, but built. Though he was a skinny and pale man, he had had many hidden strengths.

"Kagome?" He asked.

"UNCLE LEE!" She screamed in surprise as she shot up from her seat and rushed over to her uncle, throwing her arms around his chest as she gave him a giant hug.

_**oOo**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Oh, yeah I don't own InuYasha but I do own the rights to this story save for the characters!**

_This is the Sequel to **"Through the well" **It is a Dark story. If you haven't read the previous story I suggest that you do or you may become more confused in the long run Thank you and enjoy!_

_**Back to you**_

_**By Miztikal-Dragon**_

_**Chapter two: Breaking down, Building up**_

**_S_**he lay outstretched on her bed, the room was dark; even the moon was nowhere in sight. It probably was no later than one in the morning and she still couldn't sleep. Kagome sighed heavily as she rolled over on her side; she hadn't been sleeping too well lately. Kagome had only been back for a month and she was utterlessly miserable. Her uncle had informed her a few weeks ago that her eleven-year-old brother Sota had committed suicide while at the Juvenile penitentiary after he had found out that Kagome and their father had gone missing. Her brother knew that their dad hit Kagome constantly, and immediately suspected the worst.

Tears began to pour nonstop down her face as she thought about everything, reliving all the painful memories of her brother Sota. He was so young and yet he was another thing taken away from her. Her uncle had been so kind when he sold his own house, just so she could live in the shrine again. He had told her that it was for her best interest if she never forgot all of those happy years that she had experienced.

Every morning before dawn, Kagome would find herself staring intensely at the well house. She was missing InuYasha so much and she wished that she had stayed with him, even if it wouldn't have lasted long; she really wished that she could see his face one more time. Though she did find herself leaving so she could live her life just like she had told him.

Whenever she cried for InuYasha, Kagome would clutch the small container that was held by a chain across her neck. Inside the container was some of his silver and oh so soft hair that he had cut and given to her. The rest was tied in a ribbon and placed in a small box that was locked and kept hidden under the floorboards underneath her bed. Kagome had promised her uncle that she would go back to school and at least finish high school, as well as to come and visit him at the restaurant that he owned.

_**oOo**_

She smiled evilly as she watched the Inu hanyou. He was loosing his mind as he watched everything around him so intently. He hadn't slept or eaten anything in a few days and fatigue was beginning to show in the rings under his amber eyes. So far since she had taken up the hobby of practically stalking the deranged hanyou, he hadn't noticed her presence. Her plan and spells were working perfectly.

Covering her mouth with the backside of her hand, Tsubaki, the evil priestess muffled a tired yawn. She wanted to get the ball rolling, but he was practically scaring off every living thing around him, so she would have to use her knowledge or illusions. Smiling wickedly, she got up from her perch and slowly started to make her way from the forest and out into an open clearing. Settling herself down right in the middle, the evil priestess closed her eyes and began to chant a silent spell that would push InuYasha over the edge of insanity, she would have what she wanted most.

_**oOo**_

His eyes darted around surrounding, he could feel somebody watching him, but no one was there and there wasn't even a trace of anyone's scent. At first InuYasha thought he was paranoid when he found himself laying out in an open field miles away from where he had stopped once he turned human. So far a month had passed and he didn't have a recollection of how he came to this strange forest, but however he got there it would take him a few days if that to get back to the village where Miroku, Sango and the elderly priestess would be.

The hanyou's ear twitched as he heard what he had thought to be someone trying to hide their yawn. _'Somebody's watching me!'_ His mind growled angrily, _'But where are they? Why can't I smell their scent? Why can't I see them?'_

A rumbling in his stomach told InuYasha that he could no longer go without food and that he needed something that he could eat. Glancing around at the branches of the trees that he happened to be in, he spotted what looked to be some fruit hanging from the tiny, yet strong stems. Getting up from his seat, InuYasha snatched the fruit from the tree and quickly gobbled it down. The taste was sweet and he could feel the food go quickly down his throat, it made him want more.

Eating a few more of the delicious fruits, InuYasha had jumped down out of the tree he was in and headed to the stream that wasn't too far away from where he was. InuYasha passed the open meadows as he ran towards the stream, he could feel an evil aura looming around there and he had immediately stopped and sniffed the air. His ears twitched again as he thought he heard a woman's voice, but he quickly dismissed it. Turning his back to the meadow he began to walk away.

"InuYasha?" The hanyou stopped right in his tracks, he had began to the ink that he was going crazy until he turned around and saw her standing a few feet away. Her black hair was shinning in the sun, it brought gooseflesh to his skin just looking at her pale body. She was wearing a tank top and a pair of short shorts with what she had told him were tennis shoes.

"K-Kagome?" He asked completely dumbfounded.

He could see her as clear as day standing there. For some unknown reason, seeing her set off many unnerving alarms in his head. It may have been just that InuYasha missed her like the dickens, or how her eyes didn't give off that relaxing demeanor and how her rather large smile seemed almost unreal, completely fake.

"Oh InuYasha!" She said too enthusiastically as she clasped her hands together, "I've missed you soo much!"

"H-how can you be here?" InuYasha confusedly questioned taking a step in her direction, "Yo-you're supposed to be at home! At your home on the other side of the well..."

"I know, but I couldn't take it," she said looking towards the forest. "I couldn't stay away. Oh, how much I've missed you!"

Reluctantly he walked towards her, something in his mind told him that her being there in front of him was impossible, that somehow he felt as if Kagome was never supposed to return to him. It was as if they weren't supposed to feel this way, but he immediately shrugged off the bad feelings for this was Kagome. She had promised to return and here she was no, right in front of him staring at his soul with her hungry dead eyes.

_'NO!'_ He told himself, _'Her eyes do not look dead! It's just that I haven't seen her in so long! She has come back to love me, she told me that she might! And I know not to give up hope!'_

"Why?" He asked confused, "Why did you come back?… Why are you here Kagome?"

She glanced passed him for a moment before taking a step back, tears brimming from her emotionless eyes, "Do you not feel the same way about me anymore InuYasha?... Since I left have you stopped caring about me?... I only c-ame--" Her sniffle made him shudder, "I came back because... because I l--"

"KOGA!" A girl screamed angrily from off away in the distance, "Get your ass back here! Once I catch you, there's going to be hell ta' pay!"

InuYasha growled as the scent of wolf filled the air. He turned his head glancing in the direction in which the foul smell was becoming more distinct. The Inu hanyou crouched down into the tall grass, completely hidden from anyone's view from land, he was waiting impatiently for the wolf youkai to come out, for now was a time for fun, his kind of fun.

_**oOo**_

Morning had come all too soon for her, and she cursed under her breath as she rolled over on her bed, pulling a pillow over her eyes. She could smell food cooking from down in the kitchen where most likely her uncle would be, like he usually was every Saturday morning on his days off. Inwardly groaning, Kagome peeled off her covers, sat up and looked at her alarm clock on her nightstand, it read ten forty-five. Getting out of bed, she grabbed her robe and slowly made her way to the bathroom. Undressing herself and climbing into the shower, she sighed as the warm droplets of water continuously pounding against her nude body, gently washing away the sleepless night's memory; she didn't want to keep depressing herself.

The fragrant smell of oranges and vanilla filled the misty room as she silently washed her hair. The shampoo suds ran down her figure and she had a blank expression on her face, her eyes closed as she tried her hardest not to think about him, about how their life could have been if only she had stayed.

There came a loud knocking at the bathroom door that jolted kagome back to reality. Quickly turning off the water, she put on her robe and rung out her hair as he cautiously stepped out of the porcelain tub and to the door. She opened it and saw her uncle looming over her slightly, his long hair hung loosely at his shoulders, a genuine smile on his face.

"Hey there princess," he laughed. "I thought you might want to know that breakfast is ready... Though you didn't have to get out of the shower."

"No, no it's okay... I was just about done anyway," she lied smiling widely. "So what's for breakfast? I'm practically starving."

Her uncle smirked as he leaned against the door, "Food."

Kagome glared at her father-like-figure standing before her, the way he smiled reminded her off InuYasha and right now that wasn't who she had wanted to think about. Rushing passed her uncle, she went to her room and closed the door locking it. Silent tears traveled down her pale face as she let her robe drop to the ground, she headed over to her drawers pulling out her undergarments and slipping them on.

Taking her time staring at the clothes that hung quite lifelessly from their hangers from her closet, she decided on a pale colored sundress that had brightly colored sunflowers all over. It was a rather loose dress that showed off the curves and contours of her mature figure. Spaghetti straps crisscrossed behind her neck as the hem of her dress stopped a little above her knees, showing off her long shapely legs. She stared at herself in the huge mirror that hung on her door, then sighing heavily she slowly put on the small chain necklace, fingering the tiny container that held her left behind lover's hair. It was still a breath taking silver, and it shinned, no glimmered in the sun.

Brushing her hair and braiding it, she quickly tossed on a pair of white flip-flops. Her uncle called them 'thongs', it always made her smile no matter how bad of a mood she was in. Glancing at herself in the mirror, she smiled before she opened her door and headed down the stairs and into the dinning room. Her uncle was sitting at the table, a plat filled with food pushed off to the side and a mug of coffee in front of him. His long fingers wrapped around the rather large green mug. He looked up at her as she entered the room and immediately plastered a smile on his face.

"Hey Kagome," he said sullenly. "I'm sorry if I said something to upset you I didn't mean too."

"Oh, don't worry you did no such thing." She replied giving her uncle a reassuring smile, "I've just had a lot of things on my mind and you caught me off guard."

He stood up and that's when she realized that her uncle was in a business suit and his hair was pulled up in a ponytail. She frowned as she sat down at the table and looked down at her food, she all of a sudden lost her appetite.

"They called for you to come in today didn't they?" She asked.

"Yeah," her uncle replied just as enthusiastic. "They need me to look at a few more employees, restock inventory. You know all the good stuff."

"But why?" She questioned curiously, "don't you run the place?"

Kagome picked up her fork and picked at her food, shoveling some of it into her mouth so her uncle wouldn't worry about her starving. He wouldn't look at her, and that usually wasn't good, because he was hiding something from her and that usually meant a surprise and how she loathed surprises.

_**oOo**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Oh, yeah I don't own InuYasha but I do own the rights to this story save for the characters!**

_This is the Sequel to **"Through the well" **It is a Dark story. If you haven't read the previous story I suggest that you do or you may become more confused in the long run Thank you and enjoy!_

_**Back to you**_

_**By Miztikal-Dragon**_

_**Chapter three: Expect the unexpected.**_

**_A_**s they ran he could smell the Inu-hanyou close by, but something was wrong. It was in the air and all around him. And his soon to be mate next to him.

"Ayame," he said stopping and looking at the female wolf youkai. _'Boy is she beautiful.'_ "He's close, I can smell him… I want you to turn back and go to the village where the monk and demon exterminator are… Tell the humans that we've found mutt-boy."

"But Koga!" The girl whined, her bright green eyes pleading, her radiant red hair that was currently up in pigtails that shaped her face just right making her look so innocent.

"Listen," he said drawing her into a loving embrace, placing his head on hers. "You can't predict what dog-boy is capable of… He's a cheat and takes cheap shots… Besides, from what the humans told us, he's severely lost it and I don't trust him around you… Who knows what he'll try and pull on you."

She was about to whine some more to get her way like she usually would but before she could say another word, the prince of the wolf demon tribe covered her mouth with his. Ayame's mind went blank and her body took control as she wrapped her arms loosely around his neck. He snickered as he pulled away from Ayame, she was flustered and her eyes held that glassy dazed look. Placing a chaste kiss on her nose, Koga pulled out of her embrace.

"Now go!" He yelled taking off towards where the Inu-hanyou's scent was strongest.

Ayame growled angrily as Koga sped off, she knew why Koga had kissed her, he had hoped that she would be in such a daze that she would forget and submit to his orders; but hell no! He may have been a great kisser, but he wasn't getting off that easily.

"Koga!" She screamed angrily as she chased after him, "Get your ass back here! Once I catch you there's going to be hell ta' pay!"

And that's exactly what she promised to do…

_**oOo**_

Kagome watched from atop of the many stairs as her uncle left for work on his only day off. Things hadn't gone like they should have, but what could she do? Sighing heavily, she turned around and headed towards the god tree Goshinboku; she needed to think. A breeze blew passed her and Kagome shivered, it felt as though some one was breathing down her neck, but a quick glance behind her proved her to be wrong.

As soon as she came to the giant tree, Kagome saw a young girl in the traditional priestess attire standing there. The girl's long silky black hair fluttered in the non-existent wind as did her outfit. Her pale skin reminded Kagome that of a porcelain doll that stayed hidden in the darkness. She seemed so familiar, but Kagome couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"Excuse me," Kagome said barely above a whisper. "Can I help you?"

The girl's eyes shot open and Kagome gasped, this girl in the priestess outfit looked almost exactly like herself. The similarities were uncanny and it frightened Kagome. The girl smiled and faced the shocked teenager.

"Yes you can help me Kagome," the maiden replied. "Come here."

At first Kagome wanted to run, but her body betrayed her and slowly she made her way over to the young girl. For some reason she felt very uncomfortable in the woman's presence, but it soon died away.

"Who--are you?" Kagome asked.

"I'm surprised that you haven't already guessed." The girl said sullenly, "But I am the priestess Kikyo."

Kagome gasped, her hand coming up and covering her slightly ajar mouth. _'How could this girl be Kikyo? Kikyo's dead! Lady Kaede told me herself that Naraku had killed her many years ago!'_ The maiden smiled as she came a few feet away from the girl currently in shock.

"You are right," Kikyo said touching her own chest. "I am dead, but you were miss informed. Kaede, she wasn't my younger sister… She had been my surrogate mother, took care of me… Naraku had lied, for I had only been dead for ten years and though I did put InuYasha in a type of sleep, I knew that you'd fall down the well… I knew that you'd be the one who'd love him like I couldn't even find imaginable.'

"You see," Kikyo continued. "You are my reincarnation and sad enough to say you weren't destined to leave InuYasha, but something changed… And I must now give you some advice along with some wisdom of my very soul."

"What do you mean?" Kagome was confused beyond comprehension.

Kikyo reached out and cupped Kagome's cheeks in her hands. Kagome tried to move away, but she was frozen in place; the maiden's hands were ice cold and it sent chills up her spine. The dead priestess said a silent prayer and looked into Kagome's eyes, the world around the both of them began to spin and Kagome felt as though she was going to vomit.

A flash of light blinded her and she felt the ground underneath her hands and knees. The scent of wood filled her nose, damp wood. Panting a bit, she slowly opened her eyes and as they adjusted to the lack of light, the well came into her view

"Where am I? How did I get here?" Kagome asked to no one in particular.

"I would guess you're in the well house," A voice said from behind her.

Quickly getting to her feet, Kagome turned around and took a step backwards. He was standing there in front of her. Why was history always repeating itself? Why couldn't she just be left alone to sulk on her own?

"W-what are you doing here Koga?" She said even more confused than before.

He walked up to her and yet she backed up until her legs came in contact with the lip of the well and he put his hands on her shoulders, pushing her butt onto the wood. He seemed to be very sad and his eyes no longer held that spark of life that usually illuminated his bright blue orbs.

"Kagome," he said softly, kneeling to where he was looking deep into her eyes. "I'm so sorry for everything I've done to you."

"What do you mean Koga?" She questioned, "You haven't done anything wrong!"

"I didn't mean to cause you pain," Koga said. "But when he kissed you, I snapped. You were the most gorgeous creature that I had ever seen and I wanted you to me mine… My angel."

Her eyes widened to the size of large saucers, "But how could you? You're not from that era! You're Koga Ookami! Rookie police officer! How can you be a wolf demon? You're only twenty three!"

"I know who I am Kagome," he snapped. "But it's too complicated to explain at this time. He needs you Kagome… You have to go back and see him…"

"I can't!" She began to cry, "I told myself I would never go to him! We don't belong together…. It's just impossible!"

Koga got onto his feet, his hands still gripping her shoulders. He leaned down and planted a kiss on her cheek then he growled angrily.

"GO!" He said, "Go back to the village! Miroku and Sango will be there along with Kaede! Go back and hurry!"

With that, he pushed her and she went falling down the well screaming as though she was being brutally murdered. The upset Koga watched as the deep blue light could be seen then he turned and walked out into the open. Kikyo was there, her hands over her chest, a frown on her face.

"You're not supposed to be here wolf," she said softly. "You should have left the first time you died… You didn't belong in this time."

"Yeah," Koga snorted, "I'm supposed to do a lot, but if I hadn't pushed her down, I highly doubt that she would have gone willingly. Then Tsubaki would have won hands down and that bitch needs to die again too! It's just the way things have to be Kikyo… Besides why are you here? Shouldn't you be in hell along with Naraku and everyone else?"

"I just came to retrieve you…" She said flatly, "And to give my reincarnation some advice and help…"

"What ever," he sighed looking down at his blood covered claws. "As long as my wounds disappear… They've been very depressing knowing just how easily I was struck down…"

Kikyo glanced at the now wolf prince; his blood was everywhere, his tail was torn from his body and many other horrifying wounds, even though she was dead it made her cringe.

"They will," she replied as she walked away, her body disappearing into the warmth of the sun. "Hurry up Koga, someone's been waiting patiently for a long time to see you again… And I wouldn't keep her waiting much longer."

_**oOo**_

She was surrounded in the deep blue warmth and light as she fell down the well. For some reason she must have really liked falling down the old thing because she seemed to have done it numerous times. Landing soundly on her feet, Kagome waited for the light to die down before she looked up. She was in his time because she could hear the birds chirping and the silence of the forest.

Finding some vines, she slowly climbed up the well and gripped the side as she climbed out. The fresh air filled her lungs and oddly enough she felt as if she was at home. Her legs moved on their own and began to walk towards the village, there was a weird feeling in her stomach and she had to get to Sango and Miroku, something was definitely wrong, it was in the air.

Taking off into a fast run, she followed the path, she had to reach her friends and tell them how Koga was in her time, about how she had missed them all; but most of all how she wanted to apologize to InuYasha for leaving him. At the moment she had no intention of ever going back through the well because she realized that she belonged here.

Minutes passed by quickly and soon enough the village came into view. Children could be seen running around by Kagome and it kind of made her feel bad, it made her think of Sota. Sniffling back her tears, Kagome caught the faint jingling of what she thought to be keys. Raising her gaze, she saw a young man with his back to her, purple and black robes barely touching the ground showing off his ankles as he adjusted the burlap sack filled with herbs. He had a hat on probably to block out the hot sun, and he walked with a staff, to what Kagome remembered as Kaede's hut.

"Miroku!" She called out to him hoping he could turn around, he didn't. "Miroku!"

Slightly peeved, she jogged towards him, but stopped when her sandal broke. Growling angrily to herself, she pulled off the still intact flip-flop and retraced her steps to where the other one lay almost forgotten. As she picked up her shoe she heard a familiar voice yelling.

"You forgot to get the plants Kaede needs for that one potion for the villager!" The woman cried out. There was a moment of silence before the woman continued, "Damn right you're going to be sorry monk!"

Kagome snickered to herself as she brushed some of the sweat from her brow. She hadn't done much exercise in a while and she was a little parched. Everything had seemed to grow unusually quiet and Kagome looked around hesitantly until she heard a loud gasp. She turned and faced Kaede's hut. There stood Sango in her normal pink kimono, the hat that she held was currently on the ground. Her brown eyes wide in shock, her hand clinging over her chest as she stared unblinking at Kagome.

"Sango," Kagome Whispered.

All of a sudden Miroku appeared behind the demon slayer and wrapped his arms securely around her waist, planting a chaste kiss on her cheek. Kagome could see the worry in his face.

"Sango my love, what's wrong?" He asked rather loudly, "Ye look like ye've seen a ghost or something…"

"…K-Ka-Kagome…" The demon slayer managed to whisper. Miroku looked up to where Sango was currently gazing and when he caught sight of Kagome his mouth dropped and he paled.

_**oOo**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Oh, yeah I don't own InuYasha but I do own the rights to this story save for the characters!**

_This is the Sequel to **"Through the well" **It is a Dark story. If you haven't read the previous story I suggest that you do or you may become more confused in the long run Thank you and enjoy!_

_**Back to you**_

_**By Miztikal-Dragon**_

_**Chapter Four: One down, two to go!**_

**_I_**nuYasha could smell the two-wolf youkai quickly coming closer by the second. The first demon was male and the Inu-hanyou knew immediately who it was by the disgusting scent he gave off. The other was a mediocre female who seemed very turned on and yet fuming with anger. That scent disgusted him as well.

'_They've come to take her away from you again.'_ A faint voice in the back of his mind informed him, _'Its just like last time. They want to make her bleed, to make her cry and scream in pain as they devour her body in a bloody massacre. You must destroy them InuYasha. They are scum! Get rid of them both before they take her away from you!'_

Taking a peek from his hide out, InuYasha saw Koga, a growl emitted from his throat as his blood began to boil. The wolf youkai didn't know what hit him when the hanyou attacked, his claws slashing unsuspectingly at his torso, leaving five enormous gashed across his abdomen.

Koga grabbed his stomach and fell to his knees as he looked around then he caught sight of a smirking hanyou, blood dripping down his claws. He growled himself, slowly getting to his feet.

"Stupid dog-faced piece of shit taking cheap shots like that!" He spat cracking his knuckles, "I'm going to enjoy hurting you!"

"Stay away from my mate you wimpy wolf!" InuYasha snarled. "If you even touch a strand of hair on her head I'll rip you to fucking shreds you bastard!"

Glancing around Koga sniffed the air then hesitantly looked back at the hanyou in front of him.

"What the hell are you talking about? There's no one here but me and you! What an idgit!" Koga said somewhat confused.

"You won't take her from me again!" InuYasha screamed loudly as he charged the wolf prince.

Koga barely was able to block InuYasha, somehow the hanyou was fast, too fast. Koga was left on the defensive as he struggled not to get any more injuries and trying to land a few of his own hits, unsuccessfully. He was glad that once Ayame took one look at the crazed hanyou that she turn around and sped off in the direction of the village like he had already told her to.

'_Dammit!'_ He told himself, _'This mongrel's too strong! I can't even hit him! He's so fucking fast!'_

InuYasha took Koga's temporary distraction and head butted him, making the wolf demon stumble backwards, sprawling out onto the ground. Slowly InuYasha walked up the fallen demon, looming over him as he cracked his knuckles, smirking down at him.

"Ready to die," It was more of a statement than a question.

"Over my dead body mutt face!" Koga growled as he threw some dirt at InuYasha's face.

Direct hit, InuYasha cried out as the dirt came in contact with his eyes. He thrashed about trying to clear his vision, practically scratching at his own eyes. Koga flipped over and was about to take off after Ayame, when InuYasha cackled and sharp claws found their grip on Koga's tail, forcefully jerking him up as a foot held him securely to the hard ground.

Koga cried out in agonizing pain, it was followed by a loud tearing sound, it was like clothing being ripped in half. Chills soared throughout Koga's body and then he felt the numbing, yet throbbing pain where he tail resided. The thick scent of his own blood filled the air and InuYasha laughed as he tossed something to the ground, it was Koga's bloody tail.

_**oOo**_

Tsubaki smiled pleasantly as the two wolves showed up. Her plan was playing out almost perfectly before her very own eyes, that was until the female fled. The evil priestess frowned as she watched the demon hightail it away. _'Coward.'_ She thought as she watched the fight begin.

Shifting her position in the tree she now was in, Tsubaki had a nagging feeling in her head to follow the wolf girl. Reluctantly getting up from her spot she let her miasma surround her body and she was off into the sky, following that youkai who ran away from a perfectly unfair fight between god and wolf.

It was true that after Naraku had died she went to where he was killed and used her knowledge of power to drain all the demon's blood from the soil and absorb it into herself. Now she could live off his malice without taking the boring soul of others everyday. Now she was powerful enough to render the strongest of demons completely harmless, like kittens.

Catching up with Ayame, Tsubaki sent orbs of energy down at the youkai, who was barely able to run, block and navigate at the same time. The priestess smiled as the demon began to become tired, blood running from numerous large wounds that had been inflicted. Tsubaki drew out the hilt of a sword that was engulfed in an evil energy as she diove for the female youkai.

They both had come to a familiar village and out of the corners of her eyes, Tsubaki caught the sight of a monk and demon slayer rushing to them. That's when she felt the sickening aura of something pure, innocent, and powerful. She stopped dead in her tracks and glancing to the entrance of a certain hut and there she was standing there, her hair fluttering as she stared at the evil priestess who dropped her weapon and stared back, her eyes wide.

"Kikyo…" Tsubaki whispered completely shocked.

_**oOo**_

She was running for her life, _'I have to get back to the village and warn those humans like Koga told me too! That demon, he was only half, but there's something about him that frightened me!'_ She could hear her love's agonizing scream and tears poured down her face. She had the instinct to turn back and fight off that crazed dog-boy so that Koga, her only love could live and be by her side, but as the scent of blood, Koga's blood filled her sensitive nose, the tears flowed by the gallons. He was probably already dead, yet she couldn't accept it, she wouldn't.

Just as she was half way there someone had began to attack her from the sky, it was a female, but a powerful on. The evil aura was practically gagging Ayame, it was the other scent she had picked up on InuYasha, she was the one who must have been to blame for the Inu-hanyou's appearance. Her body ached as some of the human's spiritual attacks nicked her demon body, blood dripped down her face, her head had been hit by a rather large rock that had mysteriously hit her.

_'The village!'_ Her mind screamed as it came into her view. She stumbled a bit searching for the humans who had helped save her tribe, she needed help. There was a sense of another type of aura in the air, one that seemed to calm her body. As the two humans came into her view, Ayame let out a blood-curling howl, and collapsed to the ground practically dead.

"Kikyo…" Ayame heard as a powerful surge of power hit her body causing everything to go dark, and then she was dead.

_**oOo**_

Soon as Sango let Kagome out of the bone-crushing hug, Miroku chuckled as he drew his friend into an uneasy embrace. They had gone inside the hut and a lot of questions had been answered like for instance. "Why did you leave?" "What happened?" "Is it really true that you two got married?" and so on. the monk poured Kagome a cup of herbal tea, and they all sat down around in a circular position.

"Where's InuYasha?" Kagome asked taking a sip out of her tiny cup.

Sango looked down at her pale hands that were clasped together in her hands. She didn't want to tell her friend that InuYasha had disappeared and that no one had a clue to where he was. That he somehow had just dropped off the face of the earth. No way in hell did she want to tell Kagome that.

"I'm so sorry Lady Kagome," Miroku said sadly as he glanced over at his young friend.

"What?" Kagome asked a little worried, "Is he okay? Do you know where he is?"

"No," Sango choked out. "He took off after you left-He-I think he was heart broken… I'm so sorry Kagome."

Kagome dropped her gaze to her cup of tea, her heart began to ache, he was gone. After everything, he didn't wait for her like he said. Silent tears began to fall down her cheeks as she thought about how she had already failed Kikyo and Koga. Someone called her name gently touching her shoulder. Lifting her gaze she saw Sango looking at her with a sympathetic expression while Miroku held the demon slayer's hand. That's when there was a flashing light.

She could see the flashes of past memories drain from her, how Kikyo had approached her, Koga kissing her cheek, an extremely pretty woman staring at her shocked expression on her face as the woman stared at her from her perch in the sky; a screaming Sango and a passed out Miroku.

A jolt of electricity shot throughout Kagome's body and she cried out in pain before the demon slayer released Kagome and stared, eyes wide open at her friend as she clung to Miroku for dear life. He looked as normal as usual, though beads of sweat ran down his now slightly pale face.

"What the hell was that!" Sango said loudly.

"Well," Miroku replied hoarsely. "I believe that what we just experienced was Kagome having either or both visions or flashbacks… Care to explain Kagome?"

She nodded and began to explain everything that had happened since she left. It didn't take that long until she had Sango and Miroku completely mesmerized, so she was visited by a dead priestess and the reincarnation of a wolf youkai that was still alive in the current time, no biggy right?

"But I don't quite understand why I'm here and why I have this really bad feeling in my stomach that something bad is going to happen." Kagome told her friends uneasily.

"So that's why you're here again?" Sango asked.

"Yeah," Kagome replied sullenly. "At least that's why I've come to figure out so far."

Miroku stood up, wiping the sweat from his face as he went over to the entrance of the hut. He was in deep thought about some of the things that transpired, he knew that Kagome was right, for the monk also had a bad feeling, a foreboding essence was heading close; he could feel it in his very bones. Glancing back at Kagome and his wife, Miroku made up his mind. Picking up his staff he faced the two women behind him, a serious expression on his face.

"If that is it," he started. "Then you must leave. You must go back to your own time Kagome. For you will not find the InuYasha that you once knew. Something has happened since you left, I do not know quite what that is yet, but a foreboding sense is approaching and I only want your safety."

"I agree with Miroku," Sango spoke up standing on her feet. "I love you like my sister and I don't want to see you go, but you must Kagome! This is not where you should be right now."

Kagome only nodded as she silently watched Sango grabbed a few small weapons and then her enormous boomerang that lay against a dark corner of the hut, seemingly forgotten. She too was about to get up when a faint cry of a child could be heard. Both of her friends dashed out of the hut, prepared to fight.

She stayed in the hut, her friends wouldn't have had it an other way. Chills ran up and down her spine as Kagome heard a loud deafening howl, it sounded like a wounded animal. Something in the back of her mind urged her to get up off her but and go check it out, incase anything was injured or if Sango and Miroku needed help, highly doubtful.

Before she realized what she was doing, Kagome was standing in the doorway of the hut, her hair blown by some unfelt wind, staring into the eyes of a beautiful woman who was flying on a cloud of what appeared to be miasma, staring right back at her.

_**oOo**_


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Oh, yeah I don't own InuYasha but I do own the rights to this story save for the characters!**

_**Back to you**_

_**Chapter Five: To not be reached in time. **_

**_K_**agome glanced at the scene in front of her as the woman in the air dropped the sword that she had been holding. As if fell, unnoticed by the injured girl with red hair who was laying on the ground, blood seeping from her body. The sword landed right in the back of the girl, probably killing her off immediately. The weapon seemed to be surrounded in an evil aura, the malice filled energy flicked with menace before sending out a shockwave of power.

Sango and Miroku were about to reach the fallen girl when they were blown back forcefully. The demon exterminator let out a panicked scream and Miroku hit a huge near by tree behind him with a loud smack. And yet Kagome stood there, she was unaffected and quickly she rushed over to the girl with red hair to see if she was okay.

Kneeling down next to the girl, she pulled the evil sword from the girl's back, blood spurted onto her pale face and out of instinct Kagome pressed her hand over the fatal wound. A bright blue light poured from her hand into the girl, Kagome tried to pull back her hand, she was in shock, yet her limb wouldn't budge.

She felt like screaming out in utter shock, but she didn't; it wasn't even possible if she had tried. Kagome could tell from the very beginning that the red haired girl was dead, but something sparked and a faint beating could be felt in her fingertips.

"….Koga…." The girl whispered in an almost inaudible voice.

Something inside Kagome snapped, for this girl knew Koga; the prince of the wolf tribe. This red hair, pig-tailed girl was in actuality a dying wolf youkai. Kagome could feel the faint aura. Closing her eyes to rid herself of a minor dizzy spell, Kagome felt a drop of something hit her hand that currently lay on the youkai. Opening her eyes she saw a drop of bright red blood followed by another. As her free hand subconsciously came up to her face, it became suddenly damp. Slightly frightened, she looked down at her blood hand as an enormous gust of the ever so mysterious wind blew by causing her to shudder. Her nose slowly continued to bleed before she finally realized, she was under attack!

oOo

Tsubaki watched the priestess that she assumed to be the deceased Kikyo. The wench was healing, or at least trying to heal that female wolf youkai. Anger pulsed throughout her body, she wasn't going to let "Kikyo" ruin her plans, again. Oh no, she wasn't planning on repeating history anytime soon. Conjuring up a teal colored energy ball between her elongated fingertips, Tsubaki chanted wordlessly as she sent a wave up tremendous power down onto her foe.

Just as the energy was about to make its mark and decimate her enemy, a deep blue torrent wave of power seemed to pour out from "Kikyo" and neutralizing the dark priestess' attack. Tsubaki's eyes narrowed angrily before she felt youkai approaching and fast. Cursing herself mentally, she called to her forgotten sword and vanished from sight into the forest, to await for the next part of her plans to begin.

oOo

He wanted to scream blindly as he stared at his brown and blood soaked tail that lay off to his side. He had to get to the village, something bad had followed Ayame, Koga could sense it as clear as day. The wolf youkai could hear the Inu-hanyou, InuYasha cackling at him. Koga was slowly dying from blood loss, but he couldn't crumble, not to a hanyou who had lost his mind, not now and not ever!

"Why don't you just give up and die?" InuYasha smirked as he looked down at his victim.

"You can never kill me dog shit!" Koga growled angrily.

Finding some strange inner strength remaining in his demon body. Koga snarled, Ayame was in dyer trouble, he could faintly smell her fear, her blood in the air. Flipping onto his back, oblivious to all the pain of his body, the wolf youkai sent a powerful kick to InuYasha's stomach, sending the hanyou tumbling back a few years as Koga quickly jumped to his feet and charged his crazed rival.

Somehow InuYasha couldn't keep up with the lightning quick agility of the wolf's punches and kicks. He could barely block the attacks yet alone deliver anything. Though for some reason InuYasha didn't quite feel as enraged as before and he could feel the fatigue finally settling in as he threw Koga back, the hanyou collapsed to his knees in exhaustion, covered in the wolf youkai's blood.

"I'll be back for you later dog-boy!" Koga snarled taking off towards the village, towards Ayame, "But first I have to take care of something more important than pounding in your ugly face!" Then he was gone.

He still couldn't feel the blinding pain that would have rendered him to spasms, but he had to get to Ayame, he needed to save his future mate at all costs. He sniffed the air hoping to get her scent clearer, but what he got was so surprising that he almost tumbled over a rock, almost. A few minutes passed by and soon enough he was gaining on the entrance to the village where the monk and demon slayer resided and called home.

As he entered the village, blood filled his nostrils as he stared at Ayame laying lifelessly on the ground, she was dying and he could tell. That's when the pain could be felt throughout his entire body causing him to gasp in shock. Out of the corner of his eyes he could see the monk and demon slayer climb onto their feet, and he silently headed for Ayame. He could see Kagome, the one who InuYasha declared as his mate, and since she too was bleeding, the hanyou would surely be here. The devil at his heels with a blinding rage to kill everyone in his path.

"…Ayame…" Koga chocked out surprising the young miko who was currently keeping the female youkai alive.

He collapsed to his knees next to his own intended mate's body, the unshed tears brimmed in his eyes as he fought back the uneasy waves of bone-breaking pain. Kagome seemed to be watching him as her hand removed itself from Ayame's back.

'I'm so sorry Koga," Kagome whispered sullenly.

"You must leave now," Koga growled pulling Ayame's lifeless body into his lap. "You must leave before he comes for you! H-he's gone made with loneliness, and he will surely kill this whole village because you have been injured!"

Miroku, Sango, and Kagome listened in shock at the wolf youkai's calm demeanor, they would plainly see the tail of dark maroon blood that gave as a trail to any predators. Kagome was no longer bleeding as heavily as before, and yet no matter how had she tried to move, she couldn't get her legs to work. Koga was talking about InuYasha, her InuYasha.

"Get off your fucking ass!" Koga snarled angrily, "Go back to your own time girl! Or you'll suffer a worse fate than death when the hanyou finds you here next to an enemy of his! NOW GO BACK BEFORE I MAKE YOU! GO BACK THROUGH THE WELL AND NEVER COME BACK!"

Sango's deafening whistle could be heard as she called out for the neko youkai that currently was hunting in the forest. The demon slayer grabbed Kagome and hoisted her to an upright standing position as a thundering growl could be heard. An enormous ball of flames shot out of the forest of trees and with quick speed and grace headed straight for Sango and Kagome.

Kirara landed on the ground and was glancing at her own as Sango practically threw Kagome onto the neko youkai's back and jumped on herself. Both girls held on tightly as Kirara took off into the air heading towards the bone eater's well.

Miroku looked down at Koga and Ayame, it sent a pang of guilt throughout his hear for he and Sango had practically sent these two wolf youkai to their untimely deaths.

"Koga, I-we didn't mean for this to happen," Miroku said.

Koga shifted his weight as he lay Ayame on the ground. He could feel the darkness around him. Glancing up at the monk, he smiled a cocky smile as he laid down next to Ayame. She was on death's door and he would join her.

"Wait for me Ayame," the wolf prince breathed. "I love you-So p-please wait for me."

Placing one last chaste kiss on her lips, Koga put his head down on Ayame's chest wrapping his arms around her waist. He listened silently as Ayame's heart beat slowly came to a stop. A tear slid down his blood covered face as he muttered one last favor to the monk.

"Bless us monk," Koga choked out. "She was innocent, but I need forgiveness. P-please bless her…"

It became dark and Koga closed his eyes drifting off into an eternal sleep. He had found what he thought to be love, but he had lost it just because of a meddling, revenge crazy evil priestess named Tsubaki.

Sadly Miroku watched as Koga took in his last breath then died, no matter what he was going to give both youkai a proper burial; they deserved so much more, but that was all that he could give. Closing his eyes and whispering a silent prayer, he began to bless the two bodies of his fallen allies, they had done so much for Sango and him, and that would never go unnoticed or unappreciated, never.

oOo

InuYasha sat on his knees, the smell of wolf and grass filled his senses. The hanyou was dead tired and severely hungry. This was the first time since the night Kagome left him that he could think straight. For some reason he felt empty and that hurting Koga made him feel somewhat guilty, yes guilty.

He had realized when Koga left that Kagome wasn't there with him, she never had been. Tonight would be the new moon and InuYasha would turn human. _'Kagome's human.'_ He told himself as he looked down at the ring around his neck. He would never take it off, no matter what, he promised himself that he wouldn't.

The wind blew by something fierce, his long silver hair fluttered in the wind, his eyes were closed and he inhaled deeply. Gagging on the scented air, InuYasha coughed. A familiar scent laced with blood and there was no way in the seven hells he could believe that what he was smelling wasn't real; Kagome was back in his time, and her blood filled the air.

Grabbing the ground, InuYasha awkwardly got onto his feet. Boy if he didn't look like a dog before, he sure as hell did at the moment. Building up what was left of his strength, he took off in the direction of where Kagome's scent was strongest. He now knew how Koga was able to find his strength, it came from deep down, from the inner most depths of the heart.

oOo


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: Oh, yeah I don't own InuYasha but I do own the rights to this story save for the characters!**

_**Back to you**_

_**Chapter Six: From a vision to a harsh reality. **_

**_S_**ango and Kagome rode on Kirara's back in silence for a moment. They weren't sure what to say to each other, no doubt over the short period apart they'd grown apart, distanced from one another and it was awkward, very awkward.

"Has InuYasha really gone crazy because he's lonely?" Kagome whispered unsure about herself.

"I believe he has Kagome," Sango replied uneasily as she glanced around.

Kagome sighed to herself as she wiped her nose, the blood beginning to congeal. Somehow Kikyo had given her some type of power, miko powers as some had put it. But how was she going to use it? She was now heading back to the well, Kagome had failed; Koga, Kikyo, and herself. How was she going to face the young police officer once she was back in her own time?

A pang of guilt made itself present as the well came into view. Taking one last good look at the scenery around her, Kagome gasped as an energy absorbed katana flew through the air heading straight for Sango. It had been the katana that killed the young female youkai in Kaede's village.

"Sango! Watch out!" Kagome screamed as she pushed her friend off the neko youkai's back, and falling off too.

oOo

Hidden by the foliage of the surrounding forest, she could feel the pure aura of "Kikyo" nearing the old bone eater's well with another person and a demon. This was the perfect time for a surprised attack, a quick one at that because she could also feel her lovely silver hair experiment coming towards them; probably to embrace his "love".

Tsubaki scoffed at the disgusting thought of happiness as she withdrew her katana, it immediately began to flare with an evil and malicious filled energy. Naraku had explained to her that the weapon she held in her hand was one of two swords that could protect its wielder from the legendary sword Tetsusaiga. The other had to have been either Tokijin or Tenseiga; both of which were currently in the possession of the Inu-youkai known as Lord Sesshomaru of the western lands, half brother to that of InuYasha; the filthy half-breed mongrel.

Pointing her katana in the direction of the "priestess Kikyo" and her companion, Tsubaki whispered something that would be now known as Italian and the weapon flew off soon to impale itself into the flesh of her foes. Smiling maliciously, the evil priestess silently hid in the thick foliage, she was waiting for the arrival of a certain hanyou, while a few of her minions helped deal with her "Kikyo" problem.

oOo

Kagome landed on the ground with a thud. She groaned as she slowly rolled onto her back and stared up at the sky. _'How many times have I found myself like this?'_ She asked herself as she found her way to her feet. Sango was climbing onto her feet as well and Kirara landed on the ground, her fur standing on end as her bared fangs glistened in the light. A threatening growl almost to low for both Kagome and Sango to hear emitting from her throat.

"What is it Kirara?" Sango asked, her voice filled with worry.

The enormous neko youkai growled louder and jumped into the air just as a swarm of what appeared to be Naraku's winged hornets only the color of them wasn't a mustard yellow, but that of a putrid green and brown. Their wings were longer along with their poisonous stingers. The hornets had some how evolved without Naraku's malice, or so the demon slayer had thought at the time.

Pulling the enlarged boomerang from her back, Sango quickly glanced over at Kagome. Her eyes filled with concern for her friend before she jumped into the air, throwing her weapon at the bug youkai; immediately taking out a good ten or fifteen only to have them pull their bodies together and resume the attack.

"Kagome!" Sango yelled catching her boomerang only to throw it once more, "Get out of her while you still can! Kirara and I can hold these off, but you have to get back to the well!"

"But Sango!" Kagome called out.

"JUST GO!" Sango yelled unsheathing her sword to attack the insects that had drawn too close for comfort.

Stealing one last look at Sango, Kagome reluctantly fled towards the well. All of this was so familiar, she was always running from somebody; running to stay safe, to stay sheltered, always to remain alone and completely lost. Unnecessary tears steamed down her face, _'I'm such a coward!' _She thought, _'I'm always running away from trouble or accidentally causing it. Why can't I be brave enough and stand up to my enemies?'_

Reaching the well almost a few moments later, Kagome could feel the pounding of her heart in her chest. Her throat was parched, she felt a bright light, a type of warmth surround her and she seemed to be standing in front of the Goshinboku. An early ray of sunshine lay next to her as a small breeze blew by. She could see something on the tree. It was deathly still. Moving her gaze to the figure, she gasped with utter surprise, her hands quickly covering her mouth as her eyes widened brimming with more unshed tears.

InuYasha hung lifelessly from the tree, held by a spear engulfed in a red aura, an evil presence. His eyes were closed and it looked only as if he was asleep. The silver triangular ears on his head didn't even move. A gust of wind blew passed, sending his long locks of silver hair fluttering, some strands covering his semi-tanned face. He looked angelic.

"InuYasha…" She whispered into the air.

She jumped slightly when his body pulsed, it seemed as though something was trying to awaken him. His face frowned and Kagome could see him struggling to open his eyes, but before he could the spear pulsed in its evil aura and the red presence around the fighting weapon expanded, covering over half of InuYasha's body.

Taking a step back, Kagome's calves hit an invisible object; whatever that red aura type thing that was around InuYasha brought an immense fear into her heart. Somehow she could feel the destruction that was being emitted off in the hanyou's own aura. Whatever it was, it was successfully corrupting him, killing off the human side of his soul.

That's when his eyes suddenly shot open and all Kagome could see in his once golden eyes was red. The image seemed to fade and she could feel the hot tears streaming down her cheeks. She was staring at the huge trees in front of her a ways off, she was back at the well, her legs touching the side of the rough wood. What she had seen was just a dream, nothing but a dream; or was it a vision of the future?

"Kagome!" Sango screamed trying to get to her defenseless friend only to be distracted by more of the winged hornets, "LOOK OUT!"

But it was too late, the katana that had knocked them from Kirara's back came hurdling towards Kagome. She was too slow to react and the blade barely missed her neck, but sliced open her shoulder somewhat. Kagome cried out in pain as she lost her balance. She fell backwards into the darkness in what seemed to have been in slow motion. Before the deep blue light engulfed her body she heard somebody call out for her, it was him.

It had to have been…

oOo

The cold air felt good on his face as he drew near the village. He could smell death in the air, along with Tsubaki; the supposedly dead priestess, and that of Kagome. She was there! He had to find her, no matter the cost, he had to protect her. Leaping on the tree tops he neared the Goshinboku, it wasn't far off from the bone eater's well and her scent became stronger as well as Sango's, Kirara's and one that must have been a mixture because he couldn't quite tell what or who it was.

Landing roughly on the ground a few feet from the Goshinboku, he sniffed the air cautiously; it reeked of youkai and blood. _'Where are you Kagome? Tell me where you are!'_ His mind screamed.

"Kagome!" He heard Sango scream, it made his blood run cold from the fear in the demon slayer's voice. "Watch out!"

"You can't reach her in time," a voice cooed from every direction around him. "Give up InuYasha, Kikyo's gone for good this time."

"KAGOME!" InuYasha cried out as his ears caught her scream, "KAGOME HOLD ON!"

He jumped into the air, planning on diving towards the well, but fat chance. From the corner of his eyes he saw something coming straight at him. Dodging it, he missed the second object that flew at him. It impaled itself directly into the left side of his chest, and latched onto something hard, rough. The bark of a tree.

InuYasha glanced to his side and saw the long wooden spear that stuck out from his body. His feet couldn't reach the ground and his body was slowly growing numb. The hanyou's sensitive ears could pick up a woman's cackling voice as well as Kirara's roar.

'_I should be dead…' _He told himself, _'Why can't I feel the pain of the spear?'_

He could hear the voice of somebody and as the fatigue settled in, he closed his golden eyes tiredly.

"_It's not a spear InuYasha…" _A woman's voice said, _"An illusion, but it's an arrow and a powerful one at that. Open your eyes! For you mustn't let the circle of your love break or you'll be doomed…_" He recognized the voice, it was Kikyo.

Opening his eyes just a crack he turned his head and looked at the arrow that was currently embedded in his chest. Sleep seemed like the best thing until his eye caught the reflection of light. Staring at the arrow, InuYasha finally saw the ring, Kagome's ring. It must have gotten trapped on the arrow as it hit him and now it was beginning to crack.

"No…" He whispered, "Don't… please… don't leave me all alone Kagome… I'm scared… I'm…so.. sc-…"

The ring split in half as the arrow pulsed, sending a horrific wave of blinding pain throughout his body. InuYasha lost consciousness as the two pieces of the ring hit the ground, the circle of his love had broken.

oOo


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: Oh, yeah I don't own InuYasha but I do own the rights to this story save for the characters!**

_This chapter contains Adult themes. If you would like to read the unedited version with the lemon please visit my profile that will give you the respected sites thanks! _

_**Back to you**_

_**Chapter Seven: I need you Miroku**_

**_S_**ango watched in horror as the sword flew towards Kagome, but a sigh washed over her as it missed, just barely missing her head. Mysteriously the winged hornets fled into the depths of the trees as a voice rang out.

"KAGOME!" It was InuYasha's voice, Sango was sure of it. "KAGOME HOLD ON!"

The demon slayer immediately jumped onto Kirara's back, ordering the neko youkai to follow the hanyou's scent. The cat jumped into the air and headed directly towards the god tree. She feared for the worst as she drew closer, and when she reached the destination, her blood ran cold. There was InuYasha staring straight passed her, a confused look on his face, his golden eyes were clouded over as he stood pinned to the sacred tree by a single arrow through the chest.

Choking out a sob, Sango continued to watch the hanyou's useless attempts to observe his surroundings. He was too disoriented, he looked like what Kagome had said once to be "Shit on a shingle" whatever the hell that meant. His eyes closed for a moment and the demon slayer's heart did a flip. Here she was standing in front of one of her closest friends gawking at him like he had grown wings.

Out of the corner of her eye, Sango saw the silver chair around InuYasha's neck, it seemed to be stuck on the arrow. Kirara appeared at her side and purred. Sango stroked the neko's head just as her hanyou friend's eyes opened slightly glancing at the weapon that pinned him to the tree.

"InuYasha can you hear me?" Sango asked loudly.

"No…." Sango could faintly hear him whisper as she came slowly closer, "Don't…. please… don't leave me all alone Kagome… I'm scared… I'm so sc--"

The arrow seemed to come to life causing InuYasha immense pain. Sango gaped in horror as something small and silver split into two pieces and fell to the ground. Glancing back up at the hanyou, she saw his eyes were closed once again, a peaceful look on his face. He looked as though in a deep sleep.

Kirara must have sensed Sango's distress because the neko mewed and grabbed Sango by the back of her exterminating outfit and jumping into the air back towards the village.

O

Miroku and a few of the village men had barely finished putting the bodies of Ayame and Koga into a small hut and cleaned up some of the blood when Kirara had entered the village with a dazed Sango. As the neko released Sango, the demon slayer collapsed to her knees.

Rushing over to his wife, Miroku dropped to the ground and immediately wrapped his arms around her hot body. He could feel the wet moisture of the sweat and now the tears as she sobbed into his chest, her hands clenching his outer robes.

"Sango my love," he whispered gently. "Are you okay? What happened?"

When she didn't answer, the monk began rubbing her back in a slow and circular motion. He needed to find a way for her to open up to him and tell what was on her mind. Pulling Sango closer to his body, Miroku hissed her hair and rested his chin on the top of her head, silently rocking his beloved back and for in a comforting motion as she sobbed.

Minutes passed before Sango had sniffled her tears to a stop. She looked up at her husband with a tear stained face, her eyes were red and puffy, she looked completely distraught and Miroku still didn't even know why.

"Miroku," she whispered hoarsely. "…Miroku, I need you…"

Gathering Sango in his arms, Miroku got to his feet and walked towards their hut. He hated to see her in this depressed state, especially if she _'needed him'_. For some reason she looked as though as she was a small and scared child, and it always made his heart ache to see her in such pain.

Upon entering the hut, Miroku sighed heavily as she lay his beloved Sango down on their futon. Caressing her cheek, the monk watched Sango carefully. He never had imagined that he would be married to the demon slayer. It was like a dream come true. Putting his elbows on his knees and hiding his face in his palms he thought long and hard about everything that had happened recently.

So far both Ayame and Koga had died, and the wolf tribe had yet to look for them. The corrupted priestess Tsubaki had miraculously come back from the dead. As a young child he listened to passing villagers about her evil intentions, how she tried to murder Kikyo, but lost her life by the hands of a fearless hanyou; it had been InuYasha, no doubt about that. Kagome who is the reincarnation of that of the deceased priestess Kikyo, had some how unlocked her hidden miko powers, he'd witnessed it himself, but now she was back in her own time. Well hopefully at least.

Miroku was suddenly torn from his thoughts as Sango's lips grazed his exposed neck as she pulled the ponytail from her hair, sending her long dark brown tresses tumbling over the monk's shoulder. He shivered involuntarily as he turned to face his wife. Her hand wrapped around his neck and pulled him down on top of herself, she needed him to help her forget, to release all the pain and anguish that was flowing in her veins.

His hands immediately began to roam her body and his lips covered Sango's in a passion filled kiss. She parted her lips and moaned as Miroku's tongue dove into her mouth massaging her tongue, feeling the hidden crevices of her mouth. The monk could feel himself harden as his hands brushed her clothed breasts.

Leaving her mouth, Miroku placed slow chaste kisses down Sango's neck as he began to undress her. He kept reminding himself that he wasn't taking advantage of his wife, she needed him and he would never leave her alone. Pulling all of her clothes off, Miroku pulled away from Sango and watched her. She was breathing some what heavily as her chest rose and fell quickly. Her hair was strewn out everywhere, but her lovely brown eyes still held the glassy depressed look, she was only acting upon her desires because she couldn't handle depression very well.

_**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**_

_Want to read the **naughty** bits? Go to directed sites for your needed **lemon. **Remember go to my **profile** for the sites! Enjoy!_

_**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**_

Collapsing next to his wife, Miroku kissed her temple as he tiredly draped his arm across her waist pulling her hot body against his, spooning her if you will. He listened to her breathing until it became slow and even; she'd fallen asleep. Brushing the damp hair away from her face, the monk sighed heavily as he held her tightly against his naked body.

"I love you Sango." He whispered silently into her ear, "I just wish you'd tell me what is wrong. It breaks my heart to see you like this--to see pain in your eyes. I'd take it all away if I could, just so that you'd never be sad again…" with that Miroku closed his eyes and fell into a light sleep.

oOo


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: Oh, yeah I don't own InuYasha but I do own the rights to this story save for the characters!**

_**Back to you**_

_**Chapter Eight: Caught in the crossfire. **_

**_T_**he next think she knew she was at the bottom of the bone eater's well, her sundress completely ruined. Looking up she saw the darkness of the well house, Kagome was back in her own time. Frantically getting on their feet, she began to climb up the side of the well, she had to go back. Sango need help and Kagome knew that it had been InuYasha who called out to her..

It had to have been…

Reaching the top, Kagome let herself drop back down. This time she wasn't surrounded by the usual calming deep blue light. No, she hit the bottom hard. Crying out in frustration, Kagome pounded her fists again the bare soil, tears pouring down her face.

"NO!" She said hoarsely, "NO! Please god NO! I have to go back! I need to see InuYasha… Let me go back! Please!"

Soon after what seemed like hours, Kagome's sobs had began to cease as an intense fatigue settled in her body and heart. She closed her eyes and prayed for InuYasha's safety as her body went numb and she fell into the black hole known to her as unconsciousness.

oOo

What time was it? He had lost track. Kagome had gone missing and he was very worried for her safety. The police had said that they couldn't do anything after only six hours, that Lee would have to wait two days until they could put her as a missing person.

He was pacing back and forth, his eyes darting around the room. Thoughts of worst case scenarios kept popping up in his distressed mind, images of Kagome's dead body somewhere in the streets of Tokyo. His stomach heaved and Lee dashed towards the kitchen, just barely making it to the sink, he purged.

After ridding himself of all the contents of his stomach into the kitchen sink, he wiped the bile from his lips and turned on the water to wash out his mouth. Once that was done, he sluggishly drifted back into the living room where he collapsed on the couch; the telephone only in an arm's reaching distance.

Grabbing the television remote from the coffee table, Lee turned on the TV. and changed the channel from non-stop cartoons to the news network. After a few minutes of mindless babbling, a news reporter broadcasted the crime scene of a horrendous murder of a innocent bystander.

"_This morning at around eleven o'clock, a young police officer was gunned down by a gang member on thirty-fifth avenue and Northern." _Lee let out a heavy sigh as the man continued, _"Officer Koga Ookami was off duty when he was fatally shot several times from point blank range. Witness' say that the man who shot the officer then fled into a near by weapon store where he then continued to throw things about before shooting himself. Paramedics say that the suspect is in critical condition and he was taken to Tokyo General where he will be under intense care and guarded by police. More at ten, back to you Sakura…"_

Turning off the television, Lee got onto his feet and went up to Kagome's room hoping that he had just been dreaming. That his niece was asleep in her bed, but when he opened her door the room was empty. He wasn't dreaming, she really was missing. Going over to her window he looked out, it would be getting dark soon and Kagome had yet to return.

Glancing around, he spotted the well house, he used to hide in there when he was young, playing hide and seek with his older brother and father. Snapping out of la la and he saw something move near the open door of the well house.

'_Maybe Kagome's in there!'_ he told himself as he left Kagome's room and went down the stairs, _'Or maybe it's one of those damned stray cats that she's been feeding!'_

Pulling on his shoes and getting a flash light out of a near by cabinet, Lee opened the back door and slowly made his way towards the well house. A nagging feeling deep within his stomach, well he only thought it was nagging until it growled, and loudly at that. The gravel crunched noisily as gooseflesh crept up on his arms. Here it was July, and yet it was getting cold instead of hot. Where's irony? The hypocrisy? Turning on the flashlight, he pointed it into the darkness as he climbed up the two or three stairs as he entered the well house. Shining the light around the room, he called out,

"Kagome?" He said, "Kagome are you in here?"

No response.

Taking a good look at his surroundings, Lee could see bloodstains all around the well, they had to have been a little over a month old, but there was so much; it looked as though someone was brutally murdered in such a small place to boot. A shuffling sound could be heard coming from inside the well along with a faint whimper. Cautiously going over to the side of the well, he took one more quick glance around the dark room before he adjusted his eyes and shinned the flashlight down into the depths of the bone eater's well. His eyes widened in horror at what he saw.

"K-Kagome?" He choked out in a hoarse whisper.

oOo

Miroku had woken up to his wife's warm body tightly pressed up against his, a smile came to his lips as he leaned over Sango and kissed her forehead. She really needed some rest. Carefully removing his arm from around her waist, the monk climbed out of the futon bed and leisurely put back on his robes and looked down at his feet.

'_Hey I'm still wearing my sandals, a new record.'_ He told himself as he grabbed his staff and walked out into the open, chuckling just a bit.

"How's Lady Sango feeling?" A male villager asked as Miroku passed, "She looked a little ill earlier when she returned."

"She wore herself out," Miroku smiled rubbing the back of his neck. "She's okay, a little rest and she'll be as good as new."

The villager laughed as the monk continued on down the road. He really wanted to find out why Sango had been so distressed. Looking down as something brushed up against his leg, he saw a untransformed Kirara. He smiled as he stopped to pick up the neko youkai and place her on his shoulder. As soon as he had left the village, Miroku petted Kirara, he was heading towards the bone eater's well.

"So Kirara, you were with Sango when something had happened right?" He asked curiously.

The cat mewed in an affirmative

"Does it have something to do with Lady Kagome?" How he was able to understand the youkai's answers was confusing, but he did. The cat mewed again.

"Did something bad happen to Lady Kagome?" the monk guessed.

They had reached the bone eater's well a few minutes later and yet Kirara gave no affirmative, but the monk noticed how the neko tensed up and he could hear the low threatening growl that his companion was emitting.

"Come out at once," Miroku said loudly as he looked at the sword embedded in a tree behind the well. "I can sense you Tsubaki so show yourself!"

"Aye monk," a woman's voice cooed. "Ye have remarkable powers, but yet yer still weak without yer wind tunnel aren't ye?"

Miroku shifted his weight uneasily as Kirara jumped onto the ground and transformed into her true size, fangs barred and her claws digging into the soft soil.

"How did you know of that curse?" Miroku asked glancing around, "You are supposed to be deceased. In an urn. Didn't InuYasha slay you over eleven years ago?"

Laughter could be hear all around him and it made his skin crawl as it turned practically into loud cackling.

"Yer as smart as Naraku explained," Tsubaki said as she appeared out of the darkness, sitting lazily on a tree branch a few feet away from him. "Aye, I was brutally slain by that worthless hanyou InuYasha, but I was given life. I cheated death in hell for an eternity! I no longer live off the souls of young maidens. My beauty and all of my powers have been restored and surpassed their original state."

"Then why did you chase after the wolf youkai Ayame?" Miroku asked standing behind an angered Kirara, "I doubt that she played any part in your malicious plans."

"Malicious?" The evil priestess laughed, "Ye call mere coincidences malicious?" She paused looking down at her finger nails before continuing, "But yer wrong young monk. Those wolves fit perfectly in with my plans, though 'Ayame' as ye call her got what she deserved when she tried to flee from InuYasha and Koga's fight to warn yer village…"

"Where's InuYasha?" Miroku questioned arching one of his eyebrows. _'This priestess knows something shoe's not telling. What is she hiding and how is Naraku involved in all of this? Did he revive her or something?'_

Tsubaki grew serious as she disappeared from the tree and reappeared in front of the monk. He had a cocky tone in his voice and she didn't like it at all. He was after information, probing for what she knew and he was being very cautious about his surroundings. It made her angry at his intelligence, or was she just over exaggerating, too paranoid.

"He is out of the way for now," she said seductively as she touched the tip of Miroku's staff only to get a jolt of electricity throughout her body. "But tell me monk. Where is Kikyo? Why did she just disappear from this world once she fell down the bone eater's well? Where did she go?"

"Kikyo?" He asked unsurely, "Kikyo is dead. I do not know of whom you're talking about, but the priestess Kikyo died about twelve years ago by the hands of the half demon Naraku."

"Then who is the girl that yer wife protected?" Tsubaki hissed getting irritated very quickly, "Why was this 'Kagome' so important to InuYasha, yet can be the exact double to that of a dead priestess? Tell me this monk!"

Not wanting to divulge any information, Miroku planted his staff deep into the soil and pulled out a few spell sutras, throwing them at the undead priestess. Tsubaki screamed as the paper cut her skin, she was caught in a tornado of the monk's hidden powers as the spell sutras sliced her face, altering her mask. She hid her face in her hands as her concealing spell wore off. Her once extravagant looking face and pale complexion dried up and cracked before shattering into hundreds of pieces.

Her once black hair faded gray as her skin wrinkled with age. Miroku gasped at the undead woman's now haggard appearance. Tsubaki's face was covered by four enormous claw marks that covered the whole left side of her face and most of the right.

"What have ye done to my beautiful face!" She screamed as the gray flames flickered fiercely around her body. "Ye've ruined my ageless beauty! Ye ungrateful piece of shit!"

Pulling his staff out of the ground, Miroku charged the occupied woman and struck her head with his staff. When an unnatural force pushed the monk back, almost knocking him off his feet, the impression of the staff on Tsubaki's face could be seen clearly as her now blood red eyes glared daggers at him.

"Ye will pay for what ye've done to my face monk!" The evil priestess screamed hoarsely as a thick miasma seeped out from the forest, "Ye'll pay for what ye've done to my face! Expect the unexpected monk!"

He covered his mouth and nose as the poisonous gas shot at him, blowing his tied back hair in his face. He could hear Kirara's thunderous roar to his side, and Miroku quickly went to the neko youkai and climbed on her back as she jumped into the air. The monk coughed and his eyes watered, the priestess had done something or maybe Naraku was to blame because Tsubaki had way too many characteristics of that evil hanyou Naraku. Coincidence or not, Miroku had to get to the bottom of this and quickly.

oOo


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: Oh, yeah I don't own InuYasha but I do own the rights to this story save for the characters!**

_**Back to you**_

_**Chapter Nine: Tension and a "visitor"**_

****The sun filtered through the blinds of Kagome's bedroom as she slept. She didn't want to get up yet, for the past couple of days had been hell for her. The hidden well somehow wouldn't let her pass through to the feudal era where InuYasha was. Her uncle had been keeping a close eye on her since he found her unconscious and at the bottom of the well. And the weirdest thing was that Koga was dead.

Giving up on trying to go back to sleep, Kagome tossed the blankets off her body and climbed out of bed. She kept going over that day in her mind. Nothing really fit together with the facts. How could Koga have been at the shrine telling her to go back to the feudal era when he was shot and killed while she was in the shower earlier that morning? If she was Kikyo's reincarnation, how was Kagome able to see the priestess by the Goshinboku tree? Didn't Kagome have her soul, but not her spirit or personality? Everything was just too confusing for her to process all at once, she was supposed to be getting on with her life; finishing school, getting married at some point and time. Kagome was supposed to grow old and have kids, to forget about that one month where life seemed to be unrealistic, a mere fantasy. She had to move on.

Going over to her dresser, Kagome pulled out a pair of red sweats and a white t-shirt and quickly got dressed. Putting her up into a high ponytail and brushing her teeth, she went downstairs, her uncle must have already left for work. She went into the kitchen and headed straight into the refrigerator where she pulled out a loaf of bread, producing a slice or two from the plastic bag she closed the fridge door with her foot and walked over to the counter.

Tossing the loaf of bread onto the counter, Kagome munched on the bread as she poured herself a cup of hot coffee. Humming to Something Corporate's "Runaway" to herself she didn't notice that her uncle was seated at the table, silently watching her while he ate a bowl of cereal.

"There's no time to waste Kagome, we have a busy schedule today," he said loudly.

Kagome spun around, spilling her coffee over the tile floor. She hadn't seen her uncle at the table and he kind of scared her. Frowning at all the spilt coffee, she cursed under her breath as she put her coffee cup back onto the counter.

"What did you say?" Her uncle demanded irritably.

Grabbing a few paper towels from a cabinet above the kitchen sink, Kagome got onto her hands and knees and moped up her mess, completely ignoring her uncle's question.

"Don't pretend you didn't hear me Kagome!" He growled dropping the spoon into his bowl, "I asked you a question!"

"I SAID SHIT!" She growled glaring at her uncle, "SHIT! OKAY I SAID FUCKING SHIT!"

Standing up suddenly, Kagome's uncle loomed over her, a scowl on his face and a finger pointing in her direction, "Watch your mouth young lady!"

She wasn't going to go through this again, it was all too familiar for her and she didn't want to be dragged back down into the train wreck that she called a life before love. Slowly getting onto her feet, Kagome stared at her uncle, her hands clenching at her sides.

"I'm not afraid of you!" She spat venomously.

"Get out of my face before I do something that I'll regret later…" He hissed pointing towards the door.

Kagome "hmphed" and spun around leaving the house. She had seen the anger in his eyes, the rage; he had wanted to strike her, but he didn't. Slamming the door behind her, Kagome took off in a run towards the well house. Somehow she had to try and get back to the feudal era, she had to find a way to get back to InuYasha. Blinking back her tears, she tried to slide the door open to the well house, but it was locked. Fear radiated off her body as she stared at the pad lock. Her uncle was keeping her outside, trapped in her own time.

Crying out in frustration, she dropped to her knees as the tears came. Her uncle was turning into her father each day. He was becoming distant, cold, and angry. How it happened, she didn't know, but she was certain that she wouldn't have InuYasha to save her this time, she wouldn't survive if the past relieved itself. Fleeing the well house, Kagome went to the only other place where she was positive that somebody would be able to hear her heart's pleading cry. Once she reached the Goshinboku tree, Kagome stared at it, something was not right with it. There was a type of puncture wound a little ways up and around it the bark of the tree was a dark brown, almost black.

_'When did this happen?'_ Kagome asked herself as she sat down on the ground, _'What is going on? Why is my life reliving the past? Why cant I escape my nightmares?'_

Closing her eyes, Kagome took deep breaths, trying to relax and straighten out her jumbled mind. Her grandfather had taught her how to meditate, he had always thought that he was some kind of priest with magical powers. That one day Kagome would grow up and become a priestess, taking care of the shrine. He had told her almost every night that he could feel the energy radiating off her body in waves. She was destined to be something big, but who listens to their grandfather after he puts a fork in the toaster and screams about evil spirits possessing the object to get inside our bodies and used us like puppets while the spirits stole your soul? Well obviously Kagome never took him seriously.

oOo

He couldn't believe how a small argument could've gone way out of hand. He usually was a very calm person, not letting the simplest things get him mad, but ever since he had found Kagome he'd become more protective over her. Lee loved her like the child he was unable to have. And ever since he'd found her unconscious and down in the well, he had somehow snapped. Always paranoid for her safety, not wanting to see a hair on her head harmed. He took drastic precautions, for instance, he attached a padlock to the well house door so Kagome wouldn't be able to fall in again, but for some reason he knew that she would eventually get back inside the well house, so he would have to board it up again, just to keep her safe.

Walking into the bathroom, Lee turned on the cold water and splashed some onto his face. He was beginning to have a headache and he just didn't know how to handle things anymore. Parenting was like a swift kick in the ass, one wrong move and you're royally screwed. Reaching up into the cabinets, he pulled out a bottle of aspirin and took two before going back into the kitchen and putting away his dishes. Lee had to leave in two hours for work, but when he was in a weird mood like this he didn't want to leave Kagome all alone in the house, or at the shrine in a matter of fact. It was dangerous, who knows what kind of people were lurking around for an unsupervised teenaged girl? And as if somebody was listening to his unspoken thoughts, the phone began to ring. Sighing heavily, Lee shuffled his way to the cordless and cleared his voice before answering.

"Higurashi residence, this is Lee speaking," He answered in a 'happy go-lucky' voice.

"Good morning Mr. Higurashi, how are you today?" A young man replied cheerfully.

"Why Hojo is that you?" Lee said becoming genuinely happy.

Their conversation had dragged on forever and each minute Lee's smile grew wider. He liked Hojo, the boy had a gentle vibe about him. The kid was always smiling and never could be brought down. He wasn't that bad looking either, with sandy brown hair, hazel eyes and a good strong hand shake. Over all the boy carried himself like how a man should. To Lee, Hojo was perfect, and the best thing was that the boy had a thing for his niece. For his own advantage, today Lee was going to play "match maker".

"So is Kagome around?" Hojo asked hesitantly.

"Yes she is Hojo, but you see she's kind of upset." Lee told the boy, not lying, but not completely telling the truth. "I think she's depressed.

"Why is that Mr. Higurashi? Is everything okay over that the shrine?" Hojo questioned worriedly.

Lee thought for a moment before answering, "I'm not sure or anything, but I'm worried for her. None of her friend's have been around and she's shutting herself out from the world…"

"Is it okay if I come to see her-I mean to visit her?" The young boy said rather quickly.

Lee laughed, "Sure Hojo, she can sure use some attention. When you get here go to the Goshinboku tree. She is currently sitting there as we speak…"

"Okay I will," Hojo replied. "Thank you Mr. Higurashi."

"No problem my boy, see you in a few."

"Bye." and then they both hung up, Lee with a big smile pursing his lips.

oOo

Kagome had been meditating for a while now, her mind was relatively clear and she had just began to decipher through the whole ordeal that happened through the well when she heard a faint voice call her name. She wasn't sure who it was, but she pushed it out of her mind as she continued to concentrate. Pictures of her friend's, family and her life flashed in front of her closed eyes, she could practically see the sacred tree surrounded by a luscious green forest, birds chirping and the sound of the wind blowing through the leaves and were all that she could swear that she could barely hear.

She could see him sitting there underneath the sacred tree, he looked so real the way his amber eyes lit up when he saw her. The way his long silver hair fluttered when he ran to her, the scent of earth and of the forest as she embraced him, her head burring in his chest inhaling his long forgotten scent. Again she could hear someone calling her name and still she tried to ignore it. She was in InuYasha's arms again and that's where she wanted to stay. Kagome knew deep down that she was only dreaming because there was no warmth in their embrace and it left her only feeling even more empty and alone than before.

Torn from her thoughts when someone's hand gripped her should, Kagome cried out in shock as her eyes shot open. At first it was all blurry, but after a few times of constant blinking, and rubbing her eyes they adjusted to the amount of light around her.

"Inu--Hojo?" She gasped, "What are you doing here?"

Hojo let go of Kagome and hid his hands behind his back as he smiled widely. "I came to see how you are doing. Is this a bad time?" He asked concerned.

"Oh, no it's not that." Kagome said uneasily, "I just wasn't expecting anybody. I mean I look all messy…"

Hojo laughed a bit as he extended one of his hands out in front of her, "It's okay you look fine Higurashi."

Kagome smiled as she took his hand and stood up, brushing off her sweats. She was kind of happy that Hojo had showed up. Maybe some physical contact with people her own age would be good for her.

"Would you like a drink?" Kagome asked.

"No thank you Higurashi, I'm fine." He smiled down at her, "But I would like to ask if you want to come see a movie with me today?"

"Are you asking me on a date?" Kagome questioned nervously as her thoughts strayed back to the hanyou on the other side of the well.

"Only if you would like it to be one Kagome." He told her, his smile never faltering.

"Can we go ask friends?" Kagome asked as her hand rubbed the back of her neck, "Because I don't quite think that I'm ready to be dating yet."

"No problem," he replied.

Kagome smiled and they both headed back to her house. Mysteriously her uncle was already gone, but she brushed it off. She asked Hojo if he wouldn't mind waiting in the living while she got ready, he accepted and Kagome scurried up the stairs to her room and threw on a pair of denim blue jeans, a tight black shirt that barely covered her stomach and tossed on her denim jacket. Taking her hair down, she quickly brushed it and sprayed some wild flower body spray before slipping on some near by sandals and heading back down stairs to a patiently waiting Hojo.

oOo


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: Oh, yeah I don't own InuYasha but I do own the rights to this story save for the characters!**

_**Back to you**_

_**Chapter Ten: Into the dog house.**_

_**(Ten year lapse of time)**_

Soon it would be late afternoon and dinner would almost be finished. She smiled as her four-year-old daughter Ayumi played with a miniature Kirara. Personally, Sango could have never seen herself as a motherly person a little more than ten years ago, but after practically popping out three kids, she was glad that she had.

Stirring the beef stew in the pot, Sango sighed heavily, her life had gotten better after Naraku was defeated if you didn't count that one time when she was pregnant with the first child. She had had this really bad craving for pickles; turns out she was allergic and she blew up like a balloon. Miroku had a good laugh, that was until she went into labor and broke his fingers from them being squeezed just a little too hard.

As Sango drifted off into la-la land she didn't see her eldest daughter Seiko enter the room fuming. Her dark brown hair was messed up and the ponytail was broken clenched in the girl's hand. Dirt and dried blood was caked over her face and knees. The eight-year-old girl crossed her arms over her chest and went directly over to an empty corner and plopped down, knocking over her mother's enormous boomerang in the process.

Kirara mewed as she went over to the fuming child. Though the neko tried, the young girl's brown eyes were stuck in an icy glare at the entrance of the hut.

"What's wrong Seiko?" Sango asked not glancing at her pouting child.

"Daddy's being unfair!" the girl growled angrily.

Sango looked up at her daughter and frowned, her blue kimono was tattered and covered in dirt. Going over to her daughter, Sango cleaned off the girl's face and wiped the blood from the scrapes on her knees.

"What happened this time?" She asked gently.

Seiko sniffled as she wiped away her tears, she believed that people who cried were wimps. "Minoru was playing tag with Taromaru and some of the other boys and I asked if I could play and he told me no because I'm a girl…"

The demon slayer nodded signaling for her daughter to continue her story while trying to keep an opened mind about the situation.

"So, then I ordered him to let me play." She said pulling at the broken ponytail, "And Minoru pushed me in the dirt and told me to go play with my dolls." She seemed to growl the last part out angrily, she was a tomboy, "So I tackled him and punched him in the stomach…"

"Now Seiko, you shouldn't attack your brother. It's not lady like."

"But you attack daddy all the time," Seiko said arguing with her mother.

Caught by her daughter, Sango glanced over at Ayumi who now was peacefully asleep next to a napping neko youkai, the demon slayer looked back at her eldest daughter and place a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Go on with your story." Sango sighed.

"And, um, Minoru pulled my ponytail and he broke it!" the girl showed her mother the abused hair tie, "And-er So I bit him and he called me a girl, so I kicked him and then daddy came…"

"How did he handle the situation?" The demon slayer interrupted curiously.

"Daddy pulled me off Minoru," The girl's voice became angry as her eyes narrowed, and Sango immediately knew that Miroku didn't handle it too well or said something very sexist. "He told me that girl's shouldn't fight and that I should go inside and help you prepare dinner."

She was right, Miroku accidentally said something sexist that pissed off Seiko. She knew that her daughter was a complete tomboy, the girl always fought against Sango when it came time to getting dressed. The girl hated wearing dresses and just being girly all together.

Grant it, Sango was very masculine and tomboy-ish to a point, but Seiko was worse. The first time she was given a doll, Seiko ripped it's head off and punched her brother in the arm for laughing at her. Sango had been wrapped up in her thoughts about things her daughter did, ignoring the rest of Seiko's long story until she caught the last part, "And as I was coming home, daddy took Minoru to show him how to tell the village women's fortune."

"WHAT!" Sango growled looking down at her daughter.

Seiko knew that she hit a nerve with her mom, she was always calling her dad 'a good for nothing hentai' whenever he would hit on the village women. She also knew that her mother was easily angered. Hook, line, and sinker! An all knowing smirk came over the eight-year-old child's face as she looked at the fire ablaze in her mother's eyes. _'Daddy's going to get it now!' _she told herself almost laughing _'That's what he gets for calling me a girl!'_

"As I was coming home daddy took Minoru to show him how to tell the village women's fortunes." Seiko repeated smirking as her mother shot up and angrily stormed outside.

That was the last straw! Miroku had promised that he wouldn't teach their son to be lecherous like the monk grew up! And then he goes and tied to pull the "I'm just telling these beautiful women their fortunes." stunt and what, was she just supposed to sit back and relax? Hell no!

Sango hadn't been walking long when she spied Miroku and her son Minoru. Her husband was talking to one of the village women and it only pissed her off even more. Unluckily for Miroku, he had his back towards Sango, but once the woman saw the angry scowl on the demon slayer's face she went rigid before making up an excuse and scurrying to her hut.

Minoru looked behind him and saw his enraged mother and said something to Miroku before taking off in a fast run. That signaled that trouble was only a few seconds away. Slowly turning around, Miroku smiled widely at his wife, noticing the furious look on her face. He walked up to Sango and kissed her on the cheek.

"How are you today my love?" He asked normally, almost innocently.

"I can't believe you Miroku!" She growled angrily putting her index finger in his face, "I thought you promised that you wouldn't go around groping the village women anymore! That you'd set a good example for my son! Not your lecherous ways!"

Miroku frowned slightly, something had put Sango into a very bad mood and guessing by the day's events, that their eldest daughter, Seiko was still a little sour about Miroku punishing for her starting a fight with her older brother Minoru. Sometimes Miroku wondered if Seiko was an exact duplicate of Sango because sometimes they both were just so similar that it was scary.

"Sango my dear, I do believe that Minoru is our son and I was setting a good example." He protested.

"Well, not anymore you're not!" Sango hissed.

The monk was completely shocked by his wife's fuse and by her attitude, "What do you mean?"

"I mean that you're sleeping outside tonight!" The demon slayer exclaimed as she turned her back on her husband and stormed off.

Once the villager's had caught sight of the angry Sango edging towards the monk, they all hid inside their huts. For they knew the demon slayer's anger all too well and what was going to happen to the poor unlucky monk was going to be pretty bad. The men seemed to pity Miroku during those times, but they knew that the married couple really loved each other if they stayed together after all the stress the other caused. It was more of a miracle if you asked them.

Chasing after her, Miroku skidded to a stop right in front of the demon slayer. If she wanted to fight, then he was going to fight fire with fire.

"You're over reacting Sango!" the monk told her seriously. "I haven't even done anything wrong this time!"

"I am not over reacting you lecherous prick!" Sango screamed throwing her hands into the air, "You're the one who goes around groping ever god-dammed beautiful girl you see! Miroku you're married to me! Why can't you stop with your behavior and be a man for once!"

"If you're worried about me leaving you, you're crazy!" He growled angrily as he pointed his index finger in Sango's accusing face, "Why don't you trust me! I PROMISED YOU! And not have I once strayed! I love you Sango, but before you come out here making a scene in front of everyone, get the whole damned story instead of just from the little girl who's pissed off at her father for punishing her! So why don't you quit jumping to conclusions all the time and look at what's staring you in the face!" That's when Miroku walked off, leaving a shocked Sango behind him.

oOo


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: Oh, yeah I don't own InuYasha but I do own the rights to this story save for the characters!**

_**Back to you**_

_**Chapter Eleven: Over the last ten years.**_

It had to be no later than twelve thirty, Kagome was closing the restaurant after yet another busy day. Her feet hurt from standing at the cash register for ten hours and she had quite a headache. Once everything was locked up, she headed quickly to her car down the street, it wasn't good to be out this late on a Saturday night.

Getting into her red Toyota Matrix, Kagome locked all the doors, turned on the radio, and the engine, then began her long trip home to the shrine. People always say that life gets better as you go along, but from what Kagome had experience throughout her life, it only got worse. Maybe she was over reacting, but stress and mental frustration were the only things that she was able to comprehend.

Tonight would be another night that she would put a few dollars into her swear jar, then open the liquor cabinet and pull out the whiskey. She deserved that much for all her problems. Stopping at a red light, Kagome looked in the rear-view mirror and directly into her tired brown eyes that were surrounded by dark circles. She would need to pick up some more foundation to cover up the evidence from her sleepless nights.

It took her a half hour to finally get home and then ten more minutes to scale the hundreds of stairs, it was really becoming a pain in her ass, but then again a good source of exercise. Closing her front door, Kagome kicked off her shoes and went into the kitchen and dropped her purse on the kitchen table while she raided the fridge for something to eat. Taking some left over hamburger helper out, she popped the bowl into the microwave and nuked it. She went over to her answering machine and check her messages as she rubbed her temples.

Eri called with good news, Yuka had the baby and it was a boy. How interesting, she would jump for joy if her legs weren't numb, yeah right. Pulling her food from the microwave, Kagome got herself a fork and went into the living room and plopped down on the old couch and grabbed the television remote, immediately turning on the news. Same shit, different day. Another person hit by a car, a child drowning, convenience shop robbed, teacher arrested for child molestation, the modern times were just another realm of hell.

Quickly getting bored of the noise box, she turned it off, set down her untouched food onto the coffee table, and went to her mother's room, or now known as Kagome's small library room. The shelves were filled with romance novels, horror stories, old school text books, a few photo albums that were found in the attic a few years back, and any other type of books that she collected. It was one of Kagome's safe havens from the world around her with the therapeutic leather chair to the cherry oak desk that she only had there for looks.

Going over to her desk, Kagome pulled out the almost empty bottle of whiskey, she would have to go out and buy more once she was out, tomorrow after work in other words. She wasn't an alcoholic, well the temporary stress reliever didn't control her life, not yet at least, but her spending countless amounts of money to buy three bottles of whiskey every week and a half wasn't bad, she had control.

Sitting down in her leather chair, she opened the bottle and took a long swig, letting the liquor burn her throat as it slid down into her stomach. Kagome was now a twenty-six-year-old woman, with a masters degree in history, go figure, and a lazy cat that was completely overweight. Yep, she had it all, a cold bed, crappy job, and she was all alone. So if this is what was supposed to happen, then why didn't she just take a hammer to her head?

oOo

_Kagome's point of view_.

Looking back on the ten years that have passed since I left him, I cry myself to sleep. I screwed up big time, why I didn't listen to my conscious and just let InuYasha take me in his arms and carry me back to the village? My life was a complete nightmare, and I screwed up countless peoples lives including mine. My uncle was never the same person after he found me bloody and unconscious in the well, I knew that he only wanted what was best, but what happened in the end was more of the same.

He had tried pushing me into a relationship with Hojo that I just wasn't ready for. Yes, it's true that he and I went out on the weekends and hung out as friends, but that's all that we were, just friends. A little while after I turned seventeen I had went to the well to think, to gather my thoughts and that's when I had found it sealed, my uncle had boarded it up! We had a huge fight, yelling and screaming at the top of our lungs, and he had snapped and slapped me across the face. He had become everything that he had despised in my father.

Of course I knew that he would have never meant to hurt me and I deserved it, I had it coming now that I think back at it. But to him it was a different story. No matter how many times I had told him that all was forgiven and forgotten, he wouldn't accept it, he had hated himself, he was so ashamed. I still loved my Uncle Lee, how could I not? He'd given me life, in a non-sick sense, he provided for all my needs, saved me from an early demise. He was my only family left, and nothing I could do would change that, and I never what it to.

When I was of legal age, he left me, moved away to some place across Tokyo. He told me that he would pay the shrine's bill until the day he died as long as I went to school and continued being the little princess that I once was. He came down with pneumonia, and a bad case. I couldn't come down and see him because of my hectic hours, but Yuka gave me a message that my Uncle Lee was one of the people who didn't survive, that was three years ago.

The night of my twenty-first birthday I believe was one of the worst nights of my life. I can never forgive myself for what happened, it only added to why I should have stayed in the feudal era with the gang. My friends consisting of Eri, Rei and a few others had taken me to my first bar. I knew that they only had good intentions, doesn't everyone when things turn ugly? Oddly enough, I had run into Hojo after my friends left after a drunken dispute. Apparently Hojo had had a fight with his fiancé, and one of my best friends Yuka. He had left to cool off, or because she had kicked his ass out for the night. Who knew that Hojo could do anything but smile, let alone get angry? Well I didn't.

One thing lead to another, and many drinks and hours later I woke up in a hotel room, with a major hang over and a very nude and unconscious Hojo sleeping heavily onto of my own naked body. Immediately I screamed blood murder, waking him up, or so I thought as he rolled over and went back to sleep. I was hung over, scared, ashamed and every other emotion that could be shown with shock. I had dressed in matter of seconds, taking everything of mine and every single trace of evidence that I had once been there as well as some of his cash. I called a cab and went home.

Two months later after booking myself completely in work, I get word that Yuka and Hojo were married. Nobody ever knew what happened, hell I'm pretty sure that Hojo didn't even know, but that was the very first and last time that I went out drinking with the "girls". I was so ashamed of what I had done, it was unacceptable, I was officially tainted. I wasn't ever going to let myself get stuck in a position like that again.

Sure I drank, but I made sure that it was only in the comforts of my own home. I also made sure that there was never any company or unwanted visitors. I didn't need that drama. Some say that the first step towards acceptance is admitting that you have a problem, so if I don't admit it, that technically must mean that I don't have a problem right?

I cry because the things I remember cause me grief, there's no way that my life could get any worse, could it? I used to go to self defense classes, thanks to my uncle. The trainer that I had reminded me of Kaede, he had told me that meditation would be a great stress reliever, so that's what I did every night when I got home, I would meditate. Now it's a different story, Tobias and I still keep in contact and I mediated once a week, twice if I'm lucky, but that's only if I'm lucky and obviously, I'm not.

Sitting here in my comfortable chair, looking back on the last ten years I can honestly say that InuYasha was right, he had been right from the beginning; there was nothing here for me. My brother Sota was no longer suffering, life had moved on without me. Pain filled tears brimmed and stung the back of my eyes as I remembered the sorrow in his eyes, his amber eyes. InuYasha may have been cocky, arrogant, and stubborn, but he had been my cocky, arrogant, and stubborn InuYasha. He had forgiven me for all the pain I had caused him, just like I had my uncle. And yet I couldn't forgive myself, I was angered at my soul for crumbling so easily, and ironically I was just like my uncle then too.

But now I can see the errors of my ways, and all the devastation it caused. Somehow I found the inner courage, the inner strength of myself to set it aside and try to heal all my wounds of life, slowly, but surely and eventually I was healed, I was able to put the past behind me, but only seven years too late.

Drinking the last of the whiskey, the bottle hung lifelessly in my outstretched hand. My numb fingers were barely able to hold onto the neck of the bottle. I laughed at myself, I really am pathetic. Here I am sitting in a library, a tiny library, in a house off to the side, but yet still inside the premises of the shrine getting sloshed at probably one-thirty on a Sunday morning still in my work clothes.

This was truly a miserable life, and I'm not able to escape this nightmare am I? I can hear the bottle hit the ground with a thud, I'm pretty lucky it didn't shatter, well that's about all the luck that the fate's would allow me. My body's starting to go numb with exhaustion, and I would have to be up in four hours to begin doing the shrine work. It is in need of a good cleaning and knowing my lucky, tourists would be coming to get the one hour tour since I was only able to have the shrine open on Sundays if somebody wanted a tour. It was my only day off a week, and the only spare time I had, other things would never get done and it wasn't as if they ever would either.

I yawn loudly signaling my brain to start shutting down for the night, and I fight against the sleep that I so desperately need. My eye lids begin to close and using the last of my energy to get up off of my very comfortable chair. The exhaustion took over and my legs gave away. I can no longer register the pain as my knee impact against the empty whiskey bottle. I groan as my face connects with the floor. I try so hard to allude sleep, but I'm over whelmed and I succumb to the inky blackness of my subconscious, a slave to my deepest desires. Dreams will be of the bittersweet fantasies that will never become my reality.

oOo


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: Oh, yeah I don't own InuYasha but I do own the rights to this story save for the characters!**

_**Back to you**_

_**Chapter Twelve: Back to the past. **_

Sango couldn't believe that Miroku just walked off. He was angry with her, and she him. Hours went by and the kids were fed, bathed and tucked into their futons. Dinner was done, and some was eaten, but only a little. The demon slayer busied herself with other tasks as she waited patiently for Miroku to cool off and come back so she could apologize for her behavior. She had never asked Seiko anything, but from her daughter's victorious smirk, Sango immediately knew that she herself was in the wrong all along.

The demon slayer watched the entrance to the hut, praying that he would come back alive because lately demon's had been acting up again and attacking helpless villages near by. Sango knew this because she and Kirara were the one's going off to exterminate the youkai that had regularly become quite a nuisance.

Holding her bandaged hand, she blinked away her tears. The worry was beginning to get to her. Soon it would be dawn and Miroku had yet to return, Kirara was off hunting and wouldn't be back until late afternoon. Sango had burned her hand as she tried to boil water for tea, it proved to be unsuccessful to even attempt at her current state.

'_What if he's hurt?'_ She thought as her dark brown hair lay strewn out over her unblinking eyes, _'How can I not trust my own husband? Haven't we been through enough already? Why did I screw everything up? Curse my stubborn ways! Miroku could be anywhere, why hasn't he come home yet? What if he doesn't come home?'_

Hugging her knees, Sango hid her head in her lap and silently began to sob, she couldn't take the stress of worrying for the monk any longer. Though she wasn't paying attention, someone was watching her from behind a corner. Her brown eyes filling with tears of her own. Seiko had made her mommy and daddy have a terrible fight and now her mom was crying because her dad had yet to return. He had always came back home before and her parents made up, but not it was different, and this time it was all her fault.

Coming out into the open, Seiko quietly towards her mother's side, careful not to disturb her, but Sango could hear her daughter's movements as she crept closer.

"Seiko," Sango choked out wiping away her tears and looking at her daughter's guilty face. "You should go back to bed… It's passed your bed your bed time."

Quickly rushing to her mother's side as the tears streamed heavily down her pale cheeks, Seiko collapsed onto her knees and hugged her mother as she continued to cry, she was to blame for her dad's disappearance.

"I'm sorry mama!" The eight-year-old cried, "I didn't mean to make daddy leave! I didn't mean to mama! I'm sorry! Please don't hate me!"

Sango pulled her daughter into her lap and wrapped her arms around the trembling child. She was going to let Seiko cry herself to sleep as the demon slayer whispered comforting words into her daughter's ear. Her chin laying on the child's hair as she rubbed the girl's back.

"It's okay Seiko," She sniffled, trying to regain her composure, "I don't hate you and I never will… Accidents happen and you can't prevent them sometimes. It's not your fault, it's mommy's. I shouldn't have started yelling and accusing daddy of things before I got the whole story… Mommy's just an idgit, an ill-tempered idgit who's getting her just deserts."

Seiko's crying slowed down to quiet sniffles and Sango brushed way the stray strands of her hair away from her daughter's face. The demon slayer tried to smile, but only got a lopsided grin as she got to her feet and carried Seiko back to her room with her brother and sister. Sango laid Seiko down on a futon and covered her, kissing her forehead.

"Don't worry, daddy will come home soon." She cooed trying her hardest to believe her own words, "He always comes home."

oOo

He was thinking deeply of things as he walked slowly passed the village. Miroku was angry at himself for just walking away from Sango, and yet he was upset about the demon slayer not trusting him. All he would need is some time to seriously think about his actions, free space if you will. They would have to sit down and have a serious conversation. Things would need to be repaired before they were given enough time to get worse.

Looking around, Miroku knew that it would get dark soon, but he really had something important to do, the monk wanted to go visit an old friend. It was true that the youkai were starting to attack random villages, but Miroku was armed. He may not have had his trusty staff, but his spiritual powers were good enough to keep himself safe, and so were his spell sutras that he carried in his robes.

Entering the forest, the monk calmly kept his face forwards and kept his aura hidden from any unwanted visitors. The trees seemed to take on the dark green and foreboding look with their long branches reaching out as if trying to steal one's soul. The dead leaves and twigs crunched under his feet, the breeze was unusually calm and the forest was radiating with a strange heat.

Miroku rubbed the back of his neck as he watched the bone eater's well come into view. The wood was aged and yet she never came back. The last time that Kagome had come back through the well was one of the days that he and Sango could never be able to forget, it was hectic, chaotic, and just one of those days that someone could never be prepared for.

Whispering a silent prayer, the monk continued on his way, he wanted to get to the sacred tree before morning at his leisurely pace. Miroku could feel the lifeless aura that surrounded InuYasha's sleeping body that hung from the sacred tree. The Inu-hanyou would be turning human in the next couple of days and then either the monk or Sango would go to the sacred tree with Kirara and watch over InuYasha, because it was the least that they could do for him, given what he'd done for them.

He reached his destination a few minutes later and silently walked a few feet away from his old friend. InuYasha was no longer a mere teenager if he subtracted the time when he was cast under Kikyo's enchantment that is. His long silver hair was probably down to his knees and his now pale skin had lost it's tanned brownish color. Even if the hanyou's face was smooth and calm, Miroku could feel something raging inside, InuYasha wasn't dead, and it seemed that he wouldn't let himself go either.

"InuYasha," Miroku greeted as he ran his fingers through his own hair. "It's nice to see you again, but I can't stay long. Sango and I had a big fight and she's probably thinking of ways to castrate me as I speak."

He laughed at his own words, even after ten years he and Sango hadn't really changed at all too much. Sure they were now married and had three kids wandering around, but it wasn't perfect yet, there was still something rather significant missing in everyone's lives, but it wasn't as if the problem would be solved over night. No, Miroku believe that it would never be solved, or at least not any time in the near future.

Just as Miroku turned to leave, something rather small glistened through one of the rays of light that found a way around the green foliage of the forest, even if the light was faint what ever it was had surely caught the monk's eyes. Curiously he slowly walked p to the hanging hanyou, careful and cautious about all of his surroundings. Miroku kneeled to the ground right below InuYasha and with trembling hands, picked up the two tiny pieces of medial that together would form a broken ring and holding it in the middle of his hand. He frowned, this foreign piece of jewelry was like nothing the monk had seen before and by the art of deduction, one name came to his mind.

"Kagome…" He whispered to himself.

Before Miroku could get to his feet, he felt a small pulse of something pass through him. He subconsciously gulped as another wave of power blew passed the monk. Something wasn't right. That's when he heard the low rumbling of an animal's angry growl. Bringing his gaze to the source, Miroku stared straight into the blood red eyes of a demon InuYasha hanging from the sacred tree. The hanyou wasn't moving an inch, his eyes just burned into the monks. Miroku's eyes were wide with fear and surprise as he fell back onto his knees.

How is this possible?

Why is InuYasha a demon?

How is he even awake?

"Holy shit…"

One of InuYasha's ear twitched and Miroku watched as the hanyou's free arm moved towards the arrow that pierced through his chest. As the clawed hand came an inch away from the arrow, a malevolent force of energy shot out. InuYasha's face contorted into that of pain as his lower back arched somewhat. A wave of power pulsed off the Inu-hanyou's body and it knocked Miroku into a near by tree. The monk collapsed in a heap onto the ground and soon the darkness claimed him. Soon InuYasha's body slacked as he grew still, his red demon eyes closed and he fell back into his eternal nightmare.

oOo

_**InuYasha's point of view. **_

_I can feel the darkness that surrounds me, and I haven't a clue to where I am. I cannot feel the ground beneath my feet, but the hard texture of something on my back. Am I asleep in Kaede's hut? Or maybe asleep in a tree or on top of a roof? Where is everyone and why can I not sense them near by? I must get up soon for there are things needed to be done. Sango, Miroku and I have to fight Naraku, or there is no hope._

_ I have to avenge my dearest Kikyo. I've tried to open my eyes but as I try, there's a shooting pain throughout my entire body starting from the right side of my chest. I know that there is an evil being, probably a demon because I can sense it. I can feel the demon inside me, trying to claw out of my confinements. Destruction, hate, and the wanting of fresh blood running through my claws begin to fill my mind with evil thoughts. Sadistic thoughts. I need to break free from whatever is holding me. _

_Now I can sense a familiar presence, but the person seems older, wiser, but distraught. Who is this human who is slowly coming to me? Is he here to kill me? Or to help me become free? He starts talking to me as if I am an old friend and I can recognize his voice from anywhere, it is the lecherous monk, Miroku. I now can understand why he's upset, for I can smell Sango on him, the monk has finally mated with the demon slayer, and I would smile if I could move, but I can't. _

_Miroku begins to come closer and there is something boiling deep within my heart. My demon blood is being drawn by an unknown source and I struggle to keep control. My head feels as though I'm being torn in half. A sharp pain in my chest begins to worsen ten fold and something soothing is rippling at my abdomen. It's as if there is a battle against my body. One that I can feel, but only with that of excruciating pain. I cant' keep up and my demon blood is steadily getting stronger. _

_I try to scream out for help, but I have no voice, I can hear a malicious laughter and I try my hardest, I mustn't break so easily. I need to be strong for my friends, for my lost love Kikyo. The soothing caress is gone and the pain shooting throughout my body is too strong for me to handle. I can feel myself slipping into the darkness of my inner self, into my heart's deepest desires._

oOo

Kagome woke up to find herself laying spread eagle on her carpet. Her head hurt and she felt like crap, not to mention the dull pain in her knee. Groaning, she slowly climbed onto her feet and looked over at the clock on the wall. It was only half past four and she would have to be up in a half hour. Deciding not to go back to bed, Kagome made her way shakily to the bathroom.

Stretching out her aching muscles, the twenty-six-year-old woman stripped off her work clothes and went to the shower, turning on the hot water for her shower. Waiting a bit for the water to warm up a bit, Kagome rubbed her neck, she thought that she had probably slept wrong that's why it was bugging her, though it wasn't a physical type of pain, Kagome began to feel empty inside like something she once had was missing.

Brushing it off, she got into the shower and stood underneath the showerhead as the hot water pounded on her naked body. Quickly washing her hair and body, Kagome jumped out of the shower and pulled on her robe before she took off running down the stairs and into the kitchen to start a pot of coffee. Kagome then hurried back to her room to get ready and shut off the alarm clock. She didn't have much time until people would come and she needed to be prepared.

Putting on her priestess outfit, she put her long black hair into a ribbon before slipping on the traditional sandals. Looking over herself in the mirror, Kagome felt a pang of sadness in he heart. Something wasn't right and deep down inside she knew it had to do something with the hanyou that she left behind.

Racing down the stairs she grabbed a crow bar that mysteriously lay on the coffee table and she bolted outside. Why hadn't she thought of this once her uncle died? He couldn't destroy it if he wasn't living and if he could, she wouldn't leave the well if she could pass through. Practically shoving open the well house door, she ran to the bone eater's well and began to pry loose the boards. She had to go to InuYasha, she had to go back to her past.

oOo

**_E/N:_**_ More will be up next week! ReViEw! _


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: Oh, yeah I don't own InuYasha but I do own the rights to this story save for the characters!**

_**Back to you**_

_**By Miztikal-Dragon**_

_**Chapter Thirteen: Return**_

Becoming easily frustrated with the crowbar, she tried harder to pry away the wood that boarded up the well. Crying out as she began to hack away at the middle of the ply wood, hoping to get better results. Sweat glistened on her forehead as a frown covered her face. The sun had been up for a while and yet she still wasn't that far in getting closer to returning to the feudal era.

Throwing the crow bar to the ground, Kagome growled angrily as she climbed to a standing position on the plywood. Thinking that her weight would help, she began to jump up and down frantically, she had to get back to InuYasha and somehow she would at any and all costs. Hearing the wood beginning to give away, she smiled victoriously as she jumped on it one last time before she fell through and was sent falling into the darkness of the well.

Kagome's eyes were shut tightly as she expected to impact with the hard ground at the bottom of the well, but she didn't. Her heart leapt in her chest as she opened her eyes and looked up into the white clouded blue sky. She practically screamed with joy as she scrambled onto her feet and started to eagerly climb out of the well.

"Oh dear god!" She exclaimed as she climbed out of the well and onto the green grass, "I'm actually here! I'm back in feudal Japan!"

Taking a deep breath, Kagome tried to relax and calm herself down. It was working, but she was too exited to see her old friends again, to see how much they had grown in the last ten years. Glancing around, Kagome took off in a run towards the village. At first she felt like she was being pulled in the other direction, but she had to get to the village. She had to see Miroku, Sango and possibly the elderly priestess Kaede, given if she was still alive after all the time that had slowly passed.

Upon entering the waking village, Kagome could se the children running around as other villagers calmly went along with their daily routine. Nobody seemed to pay attention to her, but she didn't actually mind one bit. Running to Kaede's but, Kagome looked inside. Nobody was home, but it was obviously certain that the elderly woman still resided there.

Kagome exited the hut and carefully looked around as she spotted what looked like a little boy in front of a small group of child as if he was telling a story. Smiling, she went over and listened in as the boy told what probably was one of his bedtime stories to his friends.

"…That's when my father said that the half demon turned demon had slain the evil youkai known as Naraku…" The boy smiled with pride as the kid's oooed and awed while some asked for him to continue on with another exciting story.

"Where does the half demon currently reside these days?" Kagome asked startling the little boy.

"My parents say that he is in InuYasha's Forest." He replied, "They say that he had gone insane because the woman he loved had gone back to her own time.. And that an evil priestess came to kill the half demon in revenge for slaying her many years before…"

"What happened to InuYasha?" Kagome questioned curiously as her heart pounded fiercely in her throat.

"He is pinned to the sacred tree deep inside the forest," he said matter of factly. "My parents say that the evil priestess had pinned him there while he tried to save the woman he loved from leaving yet again, but the evil priestess got to him first.."

"How do your parents know all this?" She asked skeptically as wanted to not believe the boy's words.

"Because they used to travel with him when they were fighting against Naraku." The village boy said crossing his arms over his chest stubbornly, "That's what Lady Kaede told me and she doesn't lie!"

A look of fear played on her face as he stared at the boy, Kaede had told him? So he must be Sango and Miroku's child. That meant that InuYasha was really pinned to a tree. Glancing back at the forest, Kagome gripped her heart before she tore off into the direction in which she had just come from. She had to find the tree where the little boy had claimed where the hanyou was, she had to see for herself if it in fact was the truth.

As she ran, her sandals had fallen off her feet and were now forgotten. She had to see for herself, Kagome just couldn't let herself believe that InuYasha had gone insane, that he was pinned to the Goshinboku tree and that the little boy had only said it to make himself look cool in the eyes of the other village children. Her hair had become untied from the ribbon and it now fluttered behind her in a shower of jet black.

She soon was surrounded by armies of the light deprived trees. The twigs and leaves crunching underneath her feet as she ran. Kagome could see an assortment of bright and colorful lights, and the first thing that came to mind was the northern lights. The forest around her was oddly empty, there were no birds singing, the only sounds were the sounds of her pants as she ran, her heavy breathing, and her erratic beating heart, not to mention the pitter-patter sounds of her feet each time they touched the ground. But other than that the forest was eerily quiet still.

Kagome could feel the presence of somebody watching her as she steadily came closer. It was that of something very familiar, but completely estranged. Stumbling out onto a small little clearing, she didn't notice Miroku's unconscious form laying a few feet beside her. No, her heart stopped as her blood ran cold. A cross between an anguished cry and a gasp sputtered from her mouth, the little boy had been right because there was InuYasha, his shoulder pinned to the tree looking as if he was merely asleep.

oOo

Kaede walked slowly back to her hut at a sluggish pace, for her old age was beginning to wear down the elderly woman. She wouldn't let her age get in the way of aiding hers and the other neighboring villages though, not when the demons had began to liven up their activities. There was a gloomy aura surrounding the village as she entered.

She would have to go over to the monk's and demon slayer's home to see what all had happened during her three day's absence. Sighing heavily, Kaede settled herself down and immediately began to boil water for her tea. Maybe she was still alive because she drank so much tea all the time, but it didn't really matter because she was planning to live for a long time while still to come.

"Lady Kaede?" A soft voice asked barely above a whisper.

"Aye my child, come in." She replied not looking up, "I've been curious to what has been going on.. What ail's ye Sango?"

The elderly woman looked at the demon slayer, the young woman's eyes were red and puffy and she was trembling horribly. Sango looked like she had been crying non-stop about something for a while and she was not the type of person who would allow herself to look as she currently had.

"He's gone Lady Kaede," Sango chocked out as she sullenly sat down next to the elderly priestess. "He's gone and it's all my fault!"

"Who's gone? My child what has happened to make ye so upset?" Kaede asked worriedly.

As soon as Sango was able to keep herself from bursting out in tears, she went on to explain everything that had transpired between her and Miroku. Kaede was surprised with what was being told to her. It was true that the couple fought with each other on a daily basis, but the monk had never once just walked away, let alone not come back before nightfall. Something unexpected must have happened, but what is something that Kaede couldn't even begin to ponder.

"Granny Kaede! Granny Kaede!" Two very energetic children yelled excitedly as they came running into the hut.

"Aye?" She asked giving the children a warm smile as she poured Sango and herself some tea.

"You wouldn't believe what happened today!" Seiko squealed jumping up and down.

"Tell me my child, what happened that I wouldn't believe?" The elderly priestess asked.

"While I was telling some of my friends the story mommy, daddy and you tell us," Minoru interrupted with the same amount of enthusiasm of his little sister, "And there was this lady listening! I never seen her in the village before!"

Kaede raised an eyebrow and curiously glanced over at Sango who had her head lowered, her eyes gazing at the wooden floor as her cup sat lifelessly in her hands. She was curiously to whom would listen to a child tell stories, especially so early in the morning when everyone was doing their chores.

"Where is this visiting woman now?" Sango questioned curiously but the sadness was still in her voice, "And what did she look like?"

"She was wearing a priestess robe like Granny Kaede," Seiko said glancing over at her older brother, "And when Minoru told her about InuYasha forest and how a hanyou was pinned to the sacred tree she took off to the forest in a hurry…"

Sango shot up and her children gasped as the cup of tea shattered on impact with the ground. It was certain now who the visitor was, but how was a question that no one could answer at the moment.

"Sango my child relax," Kaede said placing a hand on the tense woman's shoulder, "Ye need to relax. Things may only seem to get worse if we don't wait some things out.. It will be okay…"

oOo

_**Tsubaki's P.O.V.**_

_Watching this Kikyo imitation coming forth from the bone eater's well and rather enthusiastically intrigues me. I could sense her and I had awake out of my sleeping vegetative state to investigate this foul creature. She is the reincarnation of the wretch herself, Kikyo. The woman who I despised so, I had almost ridded myself of the pure and powerful maiden, but alas I was brought down by the sharp claws of her hanyou lover InuYasha. _

_For eleven years I had suffered in the deepest flames of hell, but I was destined to rise again. Naraku had been the one to revive me, though in a mere shadow of my old body. I had to strive off the souls of the dead maidens, that his loyal demons collected for me. I slowly regained my strength, along with my malicious and missed miko powers, but yet I still wasn't as strong as I desired to be. I had soon found out that the half demon InuYasha still roamed the earth and I was going to bide my time before I would strike him down for destroying a beautiful face like mine. _

_When Naraku was easily thwarted, I laughed, he had underestimated his opponent and paid for his stupid mistakes. I waited until things had calmed down before taking my prize and absorbing all of Naraku's blood from the soil where he was slain, and I gained immense power. I no longer life off puny humans, maybe an occasional weak youkai or two, but that's just to increase my own abilities. _

_I had begun to claim my vengeance, this reincarnation mysteriously showed up and then the monk foiled my plans when he attacked me and drastically pushed back my death date for the hanyou. But no, this time it will be different because I can sense this woman's immense spiritual powers and the trusty katana at my side still craves for her blood and as I let it loose, it will drain her dry and she will strengthen me for the final battle. _

oOo


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: Oh, yeah I don't own InuYasha but I do own the rights to this story save for the characters!**

_**Back to you**_

_**By Miztikal-Dragon**_

_**Chapter Fourteen: Mixed Emotions**_

'_This wasn't supposed to happen,' _her mind screamed as she ran to InuYasha's pinned form and laid her head on his chest. The tears poured down her cheeks as her hands clutched his red haori. _'You weren't supposed to be pinned to the Goshinboku! InuYasha, we were supposed to have a happy ending! I was so stupid! I ruined everything!'_

"I'm so sorry InuYasha," she sobbed quietly.

His body suddenly pulsed against her and Kagome gasped as she stepped back. Her eyes stared at his face, he was even mesmerizing as he slept. Looking over at the arrow that pierced the Inu-hanyou's shoulder, she wiped her eyes dry and went back up to him. Swallowing the rather large lump in her throat, she sighed heavily as she reached out her hand to the arrow.

'_You must pull it out to free him,'_ a voice cooed. '_You'll only live happy again once it has been removed and purified. Hurry before InuYasha is completely consumed by the arrow's evil aura.'_

Touching the arrow sent a shock of pain throughout her body and she bit down on her lip to keep from crying out. She wasn't weak like she used to be and she absolutely wasn't going to let it show. A frown contorted on her face as she grabbed onto the arrow as a blinding wave of immense pain shot through her body. She tried to use some of her mind over matter to distract her from the pain as she pulled at the arrow, but alas she still wasn't that strong for such tricks especially against a very powerful dark priestess who pinned Inuyasha to the tree in the first place.

She cried out in pain as two rough clawed hands grabbed onto her arms. Her eyes shot open and she stared into the icy depths of amber as the arrow jerked out of InuYasha's body. She stumbled back and something whizzed by her face cutting her cheek and sent her tumbling to the grass.

Kagome quickly got to her feet as the object came flying back at her. Her eyes caught sight of a waking Miroku that she hadn't noticed before and as she dodged the weapon again trying to keep herself calm and remember what she had been taught.

"Miroku!" Kagome called out frantically, "dammit Miroku I need your help!"

Hearing her voice, the groggy monk looked up to see Kagome in a priestess robe, fear in her eyes as the blood trickled steadily from a cut on her cheek. InuYasha was not that far away staring at the little hole in his chest oblivious to everything around him, the Inu-hanyou was unpinned from the sacred tree and actually awake. Brushing himself off, he returned his gaze to Kagome just as something came flying at her from above.

"Kagome look out!" Miroku yelled, "it's above you!"

Looking up, he was right and Kagome barely had enough time to throw up a weak barrier before the sword could slice her in half. The force of the sword hitting the barrier knocked Kagome to her knees, but she was still able to keep herself concentrated on focusing her miko energy. She struggled to put up a stronger barrier, but she hadn't been trained to use so much energy, hell she wasn't even trained to fight with something as powerful and as evil as the sword was proving to be.

Soon enough she began to become dizzy as she fought to keep up the barrier, Miroku couldn't get anywhere near her because both the monk and Inuyasha were fighting a large swarm of putrid green and brown hornets that appeared out of nowhere. The sword began cracking through the barrier and Kagome could feel the blood now coming from her nose. She felt so dizzy and tried that she didn't sense the arrow that shot out through the trees and nicked her sides. Kagome bit back a scream, but a cry escaped her lips as her barrier finally fell.

InuYasha and Miroku heard Kagome's cry and turned to see an arrow hit a near by tree and watch as the tree disintegrated right in front of their very eyes before Inuyasha unsheathed Tetsusaiga on instincts and lung for the sword before it could kill his "Kikyo", slicing the stubborn weapon of hell in half as it shattered into a million pieces. Her eyes were wide in shock as she stared obliviously at the sky. His hand gingerly reached up and wiped the blood from her face, being careful not to knick her with his claws.

"You're alive?" He whispered as her eyes locked with his, "how can you be? I watched as Naraku killed you two years ago! Kikyo ho--"

Kagome jerked away from his as her eyes narrowed angrily. He looked hurt, but she felt as though her heart was torn from her body. Fighting back her tears, she tried to get to her feet and stumbled, InuYasha catching her quickly in his strong arms. Angrily she fought against his hold, but he was stronger than her and fatigue was beginning to settle in.

"Kikyo!" He said worriedly, "it's me InuYasha! Don't you remember me? Kikyo stop!"

"I know who you are you bastard!" She growled pushing him away, "and I'm not Kikyo! I'm Kagome! KA-GO-ME!"

Miroku watched in disbelief as the hanyou mixed Kagome for a priestess who had died over twenty-two years ago. The monk could see the pain in the depths of Kagome's chocolate eyes and he sighed going over to her aide and picking her up bridal style just as her legs gave out and she fainted.

"Come InuYasha," Miroku said sullenly as he began to walk back to the village. "We have much to discuss about as we head back to mine and Sango's hut… You've missed a lot and need to be brought back up to speed."

Reluctantly and utterlessly confused, InuYasha followed the monk. Miroku had began to explain the obvious things to InuYasha as the both of them slowly headed back to the village. The hanyou was stunned beyond believe when he was told that his dearest "Kikyo" had in fact been a peacefully resting (dead!) for twenty-two years and how Naraku was defeated. The monk felt as though he was telling one of his old stories to his children which brought him back to the reality that he had left Sango and never returned. Guilt filled throughout his body and he decided to beg for Sango's forgiveness the moment he laid eyes on the magnificent beauty that was his wife.

InuYasha on the other hand was deeply confused as he stared down at the unconscious beauty now in his protective arms. He had no recollection of who she was, but the monk called her Kagome. He was told that he was deeply in love with the maiden before she left and he was pinned the sacred tree by an evil priestess named Tsubaki, but she was dead! The hanyou had remembered killing her himself! Everything was confusing, but InuYasha now understood some what why the girl in his arms was furious when he called her Kikyo, even is she supposedly was his once lover's reincarnation.

Kagome's wild flower scent filled his nose, he loved it, but he didn't know why. InuYasha knew that he could trust the lecherous monk, and yet there was something nagging at him in the back of his mind. Staying quiet as Miroku continued to inform the hanyou of many different things and past events, Inuyasha kept stealing glances at her pale face as her long ebony hair fluttered lifelessly swaying as he slowly walked next to the monk. His mind was filled with confused thoughts as his ears twitched, picking up all the natural sounds around the three of them including her calm, even and steady breathing as her chest rose and fell slowly. Sighing heavily, the hanyou pulled Kagome closer to his body trying to mind his claws and not hurt her. Miroku stole a glance at his hanyou friend gazing down at Kagome and a smile pursed his lips, there could be a happy ending after all.

oOo

Sango paced frantically back and forth as Kaede swept the wooden floor of the hut. The demon slayer was driving the elderly woman insane with her irrational thoughts and Kaede selfishly thought about subduing the young woman just so her old mind could get some peace and quiet. Sighing heavily, she discontinued her impure thoughts and continued to mindlessly sweep her clean floor.

The demon slayer bent down and picked up her daughter Ayumi as Kirara comfortably napped right outside the hut entrance. Sango was beyond worried and her mind was crammed with really unwanted thoughts as she went outside into the open. Hers and Miroku's two other children were busy chasing each other and the village kids around. Putting her daughter down, she watched as the four-year-old laughed and poked the sleeping neko youkai.

It was early afternoon and her hair may have been combed, but it was lifelessly curtained around her as her head hung, silent tears pouring down from her slightly tanned face. The demon slayer's slender arms were crossed tightly against her chest as her hands held tightly onto her own biceps. Going back into the hut, Sango sat down across from Kaede and picked up the cup of tea that had been made for her. Holding the cup with her trembling hands, she stared at the liquid then into the small fire before taking a sip and replacing the cup onto the floor.

"Do you think he's okay?" Sango asked blinking back her tears.

"Aye my child, I believe the monk is perfectly okay," Kaede said darting her gaze momentarily outside.

The two women could no longer hear the laughter of the children and worry showed eve more so as Sango cautiously climbed to her feet, grabbing Hiraikotsu, then going to the entrance and looking out. As her brown eyes surveyed the area around her and she could see none of the village children. Clicking her tongue against her teeth, Kirara lazily came to the demon slayer's side and mewed loudly. Hearing Minoru's endless chatter and Seiko's pleas of "Can I touch them?" , Sango turned around and saw Miroku smiling widely as he spoke with their son.

Dropping he weapon, the demon slayer could feel the tears pour from her eyes freely as she took off in a fast run for her husband. Her heart was pounding like a hummingbird's and she believed that if she closed her eyes or blinked, he would disappear from her vision.

oOo

"Miroku!" His blood ran cold and his eyes flew to the direction that he heard her cry.

Before he could react, Sango flung herself desperately into the monks chest as her arms circled around his neck and she pulled him into a crushing hug. Miroku could feel the wetness of his wife's tears as his arms wrapped around her waist, his chin resting onto the top of her hair. Her muffled words could barely be heard from the monk, but he whispered soothing words into her ear as InuYasha watched curiously.

The hanyou still couldn't register what he had been told about his friends, the monk and demon slayer getting married and having three kids? Well, he didn't believe it until Sango pulled away from Miroku and embarrassedly wiping away her tears before the monk chuckled.

"Don't laugh at me you ass!" She growled trying to hid her blush, "I was worried sick about you! Miroku you didn't come home!"

"I'm so sorry my love, it won't ever happen again I promise!" He replied as he pulled the demon slayer back into his arms and his lips claimed hers in a passion filled kiss which she willingly returned. All the time the two children faked gagging sounds and rolling their eyes at their parents.

oOo


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: Oh, yeah I don't own InuYasha but I do own the rights to this story save for the characters!**

_**Back to you**_

_**By Miztikal-Dragon**_

_**Chapter Fifteen: The road to recovery isn't easy**_

InuYasha sat on the branch of a tree near Kaede's hut, the feeling was so familiar, him in a tree watching the darkened hut. Keeping an eye out for trouble while he was stuck alone and with his thoughts. The hanyou's ears were folded back as his nose scrunched up, he knew exactly what was going on in the monk and demon slayer's hut and that was the reason why their three children were fast asleep in Kaede's hut with a still unconscious Kagome.

'_Why does it feel like I've already done this before?' _He asked himself. _'How can everything Miroku said be true? How can I have been in love with Kagome when I don't even remember anything about her? She reminds me of Kikyo, but her reaction was just unnerving when I called her by my old love's name.'_

Jumping down from his perch the Inu-hanyou began to randomly walk around, his head up in the clouds allowing his feet to do the driving. It was quite relaxing where he ended up underneath a cherry blossom tree, the only one right next to a vast open field. There was something in the air that made his heart yearn for something, but he wasn't sure what it was that he wanted. To InuYasha it was completely odd, but he couldn't really remember how or where he came to have the might Tetsusaiga, his father's metal cleaving fang, but yet he knew how to use the sword and a lot of sentimental knowledge about the weapon. He could remember playing tag with the rest of the gang, and yet how did Sango kill Shippo? How was it that Naraku was capable of easily taking over the demon slayer's body and her not feeling his evil presence around her? But the main question to everything was how was Kagome so physically involved with the demise of Naraku when InuYasha himself had no recollection of the young maiden and that he was truly in love with this reincarnated priestess after less than a month together?

oOo

Kagome rolled over onto her side as she struggled to get comfortable, she had been awake for a while yet she wanted to desperately believe that she was only dreaming, that she was having just another haunting nightmare. After a few more minutes of tossing and turning, she sighed heavily as she slowly climbed to her feet. Kagome knew that Kaede had already dressed and cleaned the tiny knick on her side and it was only an itching dull pain. She let her eyes adjust to the darkness around her before she began to make her way from the hut, her bare feet connecting with the smooth and cold feel of the wood she stepped on.

Her brown eyes lazily surveyed the area as she let her toes dig into the dirt, the night sky was beautiful, just like how she had seen it last, save for her being held preciously in the arms of a certain hanyou. The young woman understood that that certain transaction wouldn't have happened if she stayed, and she understood when he had said Kikyo's name instead of her own. Glancing towards the sleeping village, Kagome pulled out the little pouch that held her small vile of silver hair and bit back her tears of pain as she squeezed the bottle in between her fingers until the vile broke, the shards of the glass digging into her palm, the warmth of her blood spilling from the small flesh wound and onto the ground.

A sob escaped her throat as her vision became blurry and she dropped onto her knees, she didn't know if she could accept the fact that the man she loved couldn't have one trace of a memory of her. That InuYasha only thought of her as Kikyo because that was all he could recall. Kikyo, his first love and his probably only love. Her wounded hand lay lifelessly in her lap as her other dug her once manicured nails into the hard ground.

"I know you're there InuYasha…" She whispered brokenly not glancing up, "please leave me alone. I don't want you to look at me, just a mere copy."

He could plainly hear her words, but he wouldn't leave her there as she cried and bled onto the soil, something inside his heart didn't want to see her suffer. He couldn't stand to see her there like a helpless child. Cautiously walking over to the young miko in the attire of a priestess, he sat down in front of her and gently placed one of his clawed hands over her petite one that buried itself into the ground.

"Don't cry," InuYasha said sternly yet softly. "I know you're bleeding and you have to get it bandaged up before you get an infection."

She calmly pulled her hand from out of his grasp and wiped away her tears. She sniffled quietly as she rose to her feet completely ignoring the hanyou in front of her. Dropping the mixture of glass, blood and now waded up and stained silver hair from her hand, her eyes were hiding all her emotions as she wiped her face on her sleeve.

"I don't need you telling me what I should be doing," Kagome said biting back all her anger, pain and loneliness as she stared into concerned amber yes. "I'm not the weak little teenager I used to be and I know how to take care of myself!"

Shooting to his feet as Kagome stormed away from him, irritability and annoyance crept into his thoughts as he angrily grabbed her wrist and flung her roughly into his chest, his free arm wrapping protectively around her curved waist. She gasped at his actions, Kagome hadn't seen him really angry in what seemed like forever and it was a little frightening as well as exciting. Her breath hitched as she stared unblinking into his emotion clouded amber eyes, she didn't know what to do, she didn't know what to say.

"Don't you ever turn your back on me Kagome," he snapped scornfully as his head lowered towards hers. "Don't you ever turn your fucking back on me wench!"

His grip tightened and Kagome tried to jerk away from him, but it was obviously no use she wasn't as strong as the enraged hanyou. Giving up and letting him hold her in his arms, Kagome hung her head in defeat and exhaled deeply as her head rested lightly on his tense chest. She could hear the fast beating of his heart, but she only went completely limp in his arms, not wanting to get him angrier than he already was. All of the hidden emotions she held deep inside seeped out and Kagome didn't know what to do. She wanted to yell and scream, but knew it was completely useless. She wanted everything that she had had once back, but she couldn't just pick up where she'd left off because time had changed, she had changed.

Kagome could feel something closing in on her, suffocating her as the color drained from her eyes leaving her with different shades of what, black, and gray. Her hands subconsciously gripped InuYasha's haori as she began to slump to the ground.

_**U-U **_

_It seemed as her eyes were opening and there was this hard body underneath hers, two strong arms, one around her shoulder and the other circle around her waist. Blinking quickly, Kagome could feel the hot skin against her face, her head was in the apex of his shoulder. A breeze blew by causing her to shiver and it was then that she could feel the damp coldness all over the front of her blouse. _

"_InuYasha?" She asked cautiously as she tried to push herself up into a sitting position. _

_As she tried to get up InuYasha's arms weakly, yet stubbornly help her down. She could feel his body tensing as his breathing quickened becoming ragged. _

"_Don't move," he whispered into her ear. _

_Kagome carefully wrapped her arms around his neck and held him closely, silent tears rolling down her cheeks as she nuzzled her face into his chest. _

"_I thought you died InuYasha!" She whispered brokenly. "I was so afraid that I lost you!"_

_He gently ran his clawed fingers through Kagome's hair and laughed faintly. "I would never leave you Kagome." He paused before adding, "So don't you ever try to leave me again." _

"_I promise," she replied gazing into his half lidded amber eyes. "But we have to talk."_

"_No, later… Let's just live for now," InuYasha softly told her as he gripped her tightly in his arms, drawing her as close as he was able to. _

_InuYasha lifted his head slightly and kissed her cheek, then the tip of her nose. Kagome moved her head and caught the hanyou's lips in a sweet tender kiss. _

_**U-U**_

Pain shot throughout her body as his grip loosened and a gasp escaped InuYasha's throat. Shoving away from him, Kagome stumbled falling onto the ground as even more tears began to leak from her eyes. Using her arms, Kagome rested her forehead on them, shielding her face as she somewhat laid on the ground, completely lost in her thoughts and memories that were drowning her heart.

She didn't know how long she was laying there, but it must have been a while because she could hear the faint whispers of people approaching her. Kagome didn't bother to react as two strong arms scooped her up and held her bridal style, her head resting tiredly on his shoulder, the soft fabric of his clothes cushioning her body. Opening her eyes only a little, she saw the dark colors of Miroku's robes, clutching tightly in her hands, InuYasha was no where around.

"Miroku is she going to be okay?" Kagome heard Sango's concerned voice ask hesitantly.

"Emotionally I'm not sure anymore," Miroku replied softly. "But physically yes, once we clean out the scratch on her hand she'll be just fine."

"InuYasha," Kagome choked out in a pleading whisper as she fought back more tears. "I'm s-sorry…"

She felt Miroku tighten his hold on her and soon enough Kagome drifted off into a restless sleep.

oOo

Not knowing how to react to what he had seen InuYasha ran, the cold air flying in his face as he left Kagome lying on the ground. He didn't know what to say, he didn't know how to react. Letting his nose guide him, the hanyou found himself at the bone eaters' well. The scent of wild flowers was strong there, it was Kagome's scent. Going over to the well and sitting down on the edge he sighed heavily, he was missing the key point to his life story yet somehow when he held her close, something had came back. The one memory tore roughly at his heart and the question was why? Why did it hurt him so much to see her cry? Why was she able to make him feel like a fool? Who was she and why does she have this calming effect on him?

Climbing into the well, InuYasha was surrounded by a deep blue warmth as he seemed to be transported somewhere. Once the light died down it took a few minutes for his eyes to adjust and when they did, he looked up. There was no bright sun and the smell of fresh air and the forest. The air seemed heavier and horrible as alien sounds attacked his dog ears.

'_What the fuck?' _He thought jumping out of the well only to see it surrounded by a little shrine. The scent of old blood assaulted his nose, some of it was his, but the other was just a mystery. InuYasha felt his heart begin to quicken and beat furiously against his ribcage, there was something here with him.

Everything around him seemed different, but it was all the same. His amber eyes surveyed the area, and he found nothing. Letting a held breath escape his lips there was suddenly a loud bang ringing in his sensitive ears, a second later pain shot throughout his left shoulder. Gripping it, he winced in pain, he was bleeding but how? Stumbling backwards, he raised his gazed to find a younger version of Kagome with a horrified look on her face, her eyes were wide and her mouth hung open.

"Kagome… I--" He tried to speak but another shot rang out followed by her panicked screams. InuYasha collapsed to his knees. A hole, a small yet excruciatingly painful hole was in his abdomen spurted a little of his won blood as it began to soak through his clothing, yet he couldn't smell his blood.

oOo


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: Oh, yeah I don't own InuYasha but I do own the rights to this story save for the characters!**

_**Back to you**_

_**By Miztikal-Dragon**_

_**Chapter Sixteen: Instincts will show the way**_

****Kagome had been awake for a while and she couldn't keep her mind off of InuYasha. She didn't know why she had another vision of the past, but it had hurt her even more than she could ever believe. InuYasha couldn't remember her and she knew he had seen what she saw, Kagome could feel it. It did something to him, and InuYasha had run away, just like Kagome had though now she could barely begin to comprehend what he had been feeling only ten years ago. Silently watching her friends eating, Kagome moved her gaze to her own bowl, somehow she had lost her appetite and all she wanted to do was sink into the floor and disappear forever.

"Lady Kagome are you feeling okay?" Miroku asked curiously, placing his bowl on the ground watching her carefully.

"I'm fine," she said trying to flash them a smile. "but I think I'm going to go for a walk to clear my mind." She paused getting to her feet, "I would like for you guys to stay here and tend to your family. I promise that I won't be too long and that I'll keep an eye out for danger."

Miroku seemed a little wary of Kagome's behavior, but said nothing as she left and Kagome was grateful for that. Her life had taken a turn and sometimes it felt as if it was for the worst. Sure she had tried to get back through the well plenty of times to get back to InuYasha, but the fact of the matter was that back then she couldn't and that was back in the past. You can't go back and redo what you had screwed up, it didn't work that way, it never does. Not knowing where she was headed, Kagome thought about her past while she walked.

Since it was coming back to haunt her, she might as well be miserable thinking about everything that had happened, every tear shed, every kiss stolen, every embrace that never seemed to end and everything else, including the pain. There had been a lot of pain from the very beginning, but somehow InuYasha had been able to get passed it, he had been able to move on and not let it hold him back, but it held Kagome and tightly. She couldn't get passed the feeling of her betrayal, the heartache that she had caused everyone around her. Kagome was ashamed of how weak she had been and how she allowed it to happen to her.

'_Why do I have to be such a pushover?' _She thought to herself kicking the dirt under her feet, _'I have tried so hard to grow stronger, to become a stronger person, but deep down inside I'm still worthless. I still see the monster that I had become all those years ago. Will I ever be able to escape from my nightmares? Can I ever just be a normal woman, with a normal life?'_

Walking numbly by a few shrouded trees, Kagome found herself standing merely yards away from the bone eater's well. The light surrounding it made her fight back her tears, everything had started at the well, it was how she came to the feudal era, how she met InuYasha and the gang. It was where she had first fallen in love with an amber eyed silver hair hanyou boy named InuYasha. Going over to the well, Kagome gently ran her hand around the opening, she had come back and she didn't want to leave him for a second time, but if he couldn't remember her than why waste time trying to make him her remember something that only would upset him? Kagome didn't want to burden him with her undeserved love when he could be happy without her.

Looking back at the trees behind her, Kagome smiled, her life had seemed like nothing but a horrible dream and at any moment she would wake up and be sixteen all over again, running away from her father and his steel fists. Sighing heavily, Kagome climbed onto the lip of the well and hoped in, she was going back to her own time, there were just some things that she had to think about that just couldn't be done in the wilderness that hid human eating demons and had absolutely no safety for a human girl. Kagome was immediately engulfed by the deep blue light and she closed her eyes until she felt her feet softly touch the ground, she was now home in the well house where nothing too life threatening could go wrong. Bringing her gaze upwards, the first ting she saw was a motionless arm hanging over with clawed finger tips. Her eyes went wide with horror as she scrambled to climb up the wall. InuYasha had been able to pass through to her time on his own and she prayed that he was alright.

Getting to the top, Kagome practically jumped out of the well and landed roughly next to InuYasha's limp form. His head was resting on the lip of the well and it looked as though he had taken a pretty bad tumble. Her heart was beating a million miles a second as she checked his pulse and let out a relieved breath when she found one. Rolling him over onto his back, Kagome cringed at the small gash above Inuyasha's eyebrow, it would have to be cleaned and probably stitched as well.

"Oh god InuYasha what happened to you?" She whispered as she pulled him towards herself and picking him up as much as she could, which wasn't that much.

Half dragging, half carrying him, Kagome struggled slowly getting to her house and up the stairs to her bedroom where she could have a thorough look of InuYasha's head wound. It took her a while to actually get InuYasha securely onto her bed and she bruised herself during the whole transaction. Once Kagome had managed to get the unconscious hanyou onto her bed, she went into her bathroom and grabbed her first aid kits as well as some scotch tape. Time seemed to pass by so slowly while she mended Inuyasha's small gash, and when she had finished, Kagome found herself staring at his relaxed face. He looked as if he was having a wonderful dream and she hoped that he would sleep the whole night through so there wouldn't have to be any awkward conversations.

Smiling just a little, Kagome brushed her fingers through InuYasha's untamed silky hair and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead before she got up from her seat and left the room heading for the living room. The last two or so days had been very chaotic and the only thing that Kagome wanted was a nice hot shower and probably a cup of coffee. Locking all the doors that led outside, Kagome went into the kitchen and started the coffee maker then trudged back upstairs to the bathroom where she drew herself a hot bubble bath. Undressing herself, Kagome discarded her dirty clothing in the hamper and slipped into the tub, a tired groan escaping her lisp as she rested her head on the edge of the porcelain.

oOo

_Everything around him was oddly familiar as he lay in the grass. Night had come quickly and he could see the stars twinkling in the sky before he rolled over onto his stomach and lazily dropping his left arm over someone's small form. InuYasha stared unblinking into her eyes, her confused expression was somewhat curious and he wanted to smirk. She would always be beautiful to him no matter how she looked. _

"_InuYasha what are---"_

_He didn't give her any time to finish her sentence as he started tickling her sides ruthlessly. Kagome's giggles were music to his ears as she tried to escape, but he just began using both hangs, not allowing her to get away from him. InuYasha couldn't help but laugh at Kagome's facial expression, her smile was from ear to ear as she playfully thrashed about trying to get away. _

"_InuYasha…." She laughed breathlessly, "Don't…" _

"_Don't what Kagome?" He said smirking as he leaned his face towards hers. _

_She smiled at him coyly and her lips brushed against his sensitive ear, her panting sending shivers throughout his body as he swallowed the lump in his throat. His mouth was dry and InuYasha couldn't think straight. _

"_Don't let your guard down."_

_How he was supposed to answer that as she kissed his cheek? Somehow Kagome had successfully fogged up his mind and the seductive tone that she had used left him thinking with something other than his brain. InuYasha had no clue to what was going on, but the next thing that he knew, he was laying flat on his back and Kagome was holding down his shoulders. He hated to admit it, but he was pinned and yet it wasn't in the bad way either. He could feel her thighs straddling his lower half as she smiled down at him, her brown eyes filled with life and sparkled brilliantly. Boy was he in love with her. _

"_Oh, look who's not such a tough hanyou now," Kagome laughed sarcastically. _

"_Kagome…" He whispered hoarsely biting down on his lower lips. She was doing something to him and even if it felt good, she had to know just what type of effect that she was having on him. _

_InuYasha's breathing was erratic and chills ran up his spine as Kagome moved slightly against his pelvis, it was becoming almost unbearable. His member was becoming stiff at her movements. He was fighting against his animal urges, he had to make her stop moving somehow and it had to be fast. InuYasha wasn't thinking clearly as he gripped her waist, pushing her closer, yet trying to cease her squirming. _

"_InuYasha?" Kagome gasped putting her hands flat against his chest, "What are you---"_

"_Please Kagome," he panted breathlessly, her squirming doubled driving him to the edge. "S-stop… D-don't m-move… or-or I might.. Oh, please stop moving…"_

_She gasped again and InuYasha knew that she could probably feel his hard member pressing against her because she stopped instantly and if he could have, he would have let out a heavy but relieved sigh. Even if she had stopped, InuYasha could plainly smell her arousal and he subconsciously gripped her waist tightly, pushing her heart against himself. If they were to stay in their positions for a little longer, InuYasha was positive that he would take her right then and there out in the open field under the heavens._

_He let a muffled moan escape his throat as Kagome shifted her weight slightly, he couldn't take much more of her innocent torture, but he didn't want them to do it like this, under those circumstances. They were just beginning to repair what was left of their ruined relationship and she would probably be leaving him and InuYasha didn't want to risk the big chance of getting her pregnant if he wasn't going to be able to be with her forever. Besides they both were too young to be having pups, even if he did want them, it just wasn't the right time for either of them. _

"_Please Kagome…" He pleaded hanging on by a thread, "stop… I want to, but oh god not yet… too soon… I-we're not… ready for this.."_

His heart was pounding in his chest, Inuyasha couldn't recall ever feeling that how he was before, it was alien but it was something that he would like to feel for the rest of his life. Sitting up quickly, InuYasha was covered in a cold sweat, his hair stuck to his face and he couldn't see much in front of him but the blackness, he must have still been in that place on the other side of the bone eater's well. Running his fingers through his hair, his eyes widened in surprise, he was human. Observing his surroundings, InuYasha could feel the soft and comfortable materials underneath him, he had no clue to where he was.

Managing to get to his feet, InuYasha followed the small amount of light, where ever he was, it was a huge and probably luxurious hut-like mansion that he had never seen before. The walls were rough to the touch and it helped him as he blindly walked down the hall. There was an open doorway where a bright light was pouring out of. It troubled his mind as he tried to think of the possibility of sunlight being captured and used while he was transformed, how was there light in the darkness? Getting closer by the minute, InuYasha's heat hammered in his throat as he nervously licked his lips.

As soon as he entered, his breath hitched and he felt as though his leg would give away. InuYasha had never seen anything like it in his entire life, well at least for as much as he could recall. Deep in his heart he knew exactly who she was, but he couldn't quite remember all the small details yet. Stepping into the small room, InuYasha watched Kagome carefully trying to be sure not to disturb her. Not like it would matter so much since she was peacefully sleeping. Leaning over her body, he gently put his hands underneath her body and lifted her out of the surprisingly cold water. He wasn't sure how long she'd been bathing for, but falling asleep wasn't such a good idea.

He could feel the dampness of her body and the heat that was pouring from his own as he stared uncomfortably at the woman in his arms. Gulping loudly, InuYasha shrugged off his haori and it fell helplessly to the ground before he could grab it, boy was he in a predicament. InuYasha looked around skeptically for something, for anything that he could use to cover up Kagome's nude body, he didn't want to find out if the enormous blush on his face could get any bigger.

Pulling a large towel from the metal pole, InuYasha maneuvered her just so and draped it over her body. Letting on exasperated sigh come from his lips, the human InuYasha took a step forward only to slip on the huge puddle of water now underneath him. InuYasha fell face first to the ground, trying his hardest to shield Kagome's unconscious body from the fall, it didn't help much that the ground was slippery. His black hair clung to his face as he stared unblinking down at Kagome, his breath coming only in sharp gasping pants as he pulled her closer to himself.

Closing his eyes and resting his cheek against Kagome's he sighed heavily, it had been a close one, one that he didn't really want to repeat any time in the near future. He soon realized the compromising position he was in as he sat there straddling the unconscious woman beneath him when a low groan escaped her lips. Sitting up quickly, Inuyasha tried not to panic as he watched in total shock as Kagome slowly opened her eyes. At first she seemed confused to see him and InuYasha had a thought why; she had never seen him in his human form before right?

"Ka-Kagome are you alright?" He asked in a hushed whisper still trying to keep the blush from his face left unnoticed, which it was for the time being.

"I-nu-Yasha?" She replied still confused as she struggled to fight off the grogginess in her mind. "What are you doing in my bathroom?"

He was silent for a moment as he too asked himself that very question. In all honesty he had no clue to where or when he was, but he wasn't too sure that he wanted to confess to seeing her naked. The look on her face made him want to say something, but the moment he opened his mouth, there was nothing but silence so he closed it. When Kagome frowned and looked down at herself, her eyes went wide and her face turned ten different shades of red. InuYasha knew that she was probably very embarrassed, but when she closed her eyes and went still, his hear seemed to skip a beat.

"Kagome!" He whispered loudly as he rested one of his hands next to her head and the other lightly on her cheek.

He had no clue to what he was doing, but all of his instincts told him to worry. If she hit her head, Kagome might have a concussion and he didn't want that to happen. Inuyasha called her name again, his hand brushing the hair away from her face, her dark brown eyes suddenly boring into his own amber orbs. At first he couldn't describe the feelings that swelled throughout his being as he stared at her. Kagome's breath was ragged and InuYasha subconsciously licked his lips as he leaned closer until there were merely millimeter's apart.

"InuYasha?" Her voice was a flushed whisper until he closed the space between them, capturing her lips in a feverish kiss.

oOo


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: Oh, yeah I don't own InuYasha but I do own the rights to this story save for the characters!**

_**Back to you**_

_**By Miztikal-Dragon**_

_**Chapter Seventeen: I'll never forgive you **_

Tsubaki sat quietly in her small hut, there was something she had left undone and now that the priestess Kikyo, or whoever she was was in the picture her plans would prove to be just a little more complicated. Tsubaki had hoped for an easy victory against the Inu-hanyou, but obviously that wasn't going to be the case anymore with the miko girl there. Trying to figure out a new plan wouldn't be too hard, but time was a big issue. Getting to her feet, the dark miko went outside her hut to the small garden a few feet away, there was something that she could do, though it was very risky. Carefully taking what she needed, Tsubaki smiled before she started on the new task at hand; if she could somehow take the miko and drain all the spiritual powers from her it would be just enough for Tsubaki's long awaited revenge.

"This will be something that nobody will be able to forget!" She laughed, "and I'll make sure of that."

Tying up her long hair, the dark miko began to make a potion like concoction that would inevitably bring InuYasha and "Kikyo" apart. Tsubaki didn't settle for failure and she was determined to get whatever she wanted and at the moment she wanted to get farther than Naraku ever had when he was still at large. She was making sure that there would be nothing in the world that could ruin what was going to happen. The evil priestess wouldn't rest until the Inu-hanyou InuYasha was laying on the ground dying a slow and painful death; begging her for mercy. But of course Tsubaki knew nothing of mercy since no one had ever bothered showing her any when she was truly alive and growing up. She was making sure that she would have her revenge on everyone who had made her suffer or got in her way would pay the ultimate price; they would all die by her hands. Tsubaki laughed at her thoughts which was soon joined by evil chuckling coming from her mind where something waited patiently for the right time.

oOo

_A gentle hand caressed her check as the other pulled her closer to the hot body already pressed firmly against her. His lips touched hers and parted them easily as his tongue slid in and feverishly went to work. The temperature rose as clothing was quickly pulled off in a drunken daze. The two of them were not long-time lovers, but two people needing to satisfy the lust building deep within their stomachs. Kagome gasped as his mouth found her breasts and pulled one of her nipples into the moist, hot darkness of his mouth. She could feel the pleasure seeping into her mind, but even though everything around her was fuzzy she could feel something deep down nagging at her, begging her to stop, but she couldn't. _

_Everything went out the window as she was pushed softly onto a mattress which was followed by his hard and ready body laying over her own. Kagome was losing herself to someone that would never understand, yet in her own intoxicated state, she couldn't do much but let herself forget and somehow enjoy what was going on. She cried out as the pain overtook her, but with the husky words of assurance, the pain died away and soon the immense pleasure soared while he pushed himself deeper into her ignorant body. To her, this could have bled into a dream as she for a moment let herself become the weak human girl she always knew she was. And when her climax came, it wasn't his name which she screamed, but someone who she'd left behind. He didn't seem to notice or care as he cried out her name before slumping against her heaving body and drifted off into a dreamless sleep. _

_Kagome however had one boy on her mind before she gave into the darkness. Someone that meant more to her than life itself, but she'd lost him._

"_InuYasha…"_

_oOo_

InuYasha pulled away from the naked woman underneath him, his eyes wide open in shock. What had he seen? Kagome's eyes too were wide, but filled with unshed tears as she rolled over onto her side. She had tried to forget about that drunken night with Hojo, but obviously her mind would never let her forget, her heart wanted her to remember such a betrayal. She wanted to break down and cry because she now had nothing left that she could hold onto, she knew he would never forgive her. The hanyou turned human got to his feet and without looking back left the bathroom and let his mind guide him out of the large house. He couldn't believe it, what he saw seemed as if he had been there watching Kagome and the other man that night. Sure he could tell by their movement that some for of booze had been involved, but something had broke when the end came and Kagome screamed his name instead of the guy who she was with.

The sad thing about it was that InuYasha had been so sure that Kagome loved him like Miroku claimed, but after that InuYasha was so confused and hurt he had no clue what to do. Somehow he found himself heading towards the small shrine and as he reached the door a soft hand grabbed his and pulled him back.

"Please don't leave me like this InuYasha!" It was Kagome and she was wearing a robe over herself, "let me explain what happened! Please let me explain!"

"Explain what Kagome?" He said coldly jerking his hand away from her grasp, "I don't even know who you are! Why should I waste my time with a whore who I can't remember?"

"But--"

"I don't ever want to see you again Kagome, so don't follow me or I will kill you!" He hissed before disappearing into the darkness of the shrine.

Kagome watched InuYasha disappear into the well house and she knew he was gone. Her tears fell then and she felt as though she would die. Running back into her home and up the stairs to her room, Kagome tossed on some clothes before she rushed back to the well. If he really wanted to kill her, she would let him, but not before she explained to him what had happened while she was away for those ten long years. Kagome was going to try to get InuYasha to understand that she didn't want what she and Hojo did to happen! She didn't want InuYasha to forgive her like he had in the past, she just wanted him to understand that she still cared for the hanyou, hell she still loved him.

Jumping down the well, Kagome was surrounded by the warmth of the deep blue light, but she felt completely empty inside. A few minutes passed and when the light died down she was greeted by the eerie quietness of the feudal era. Something told her not to leave the well, but she had to go after him, she had to find InuYasha. Climbing out of the well Kagome glanced around momentarily before she started heading towards the village where Sango and Miroku lived. Before she could get more than ten feet away from the bone eater's well an arrow shot out behind her and she was barely able to dodge it only to see another come directly at her. She cried out as it pinned her right shoulder to a near by tree. There was blinding pain searing throughout her body and as the tears poured from her eyes, she let out a few bitter chuckles while she stared at the arrow in her shoulder.

"How did I know you'd stay true to your word? I'm so sorry InuYasha," she said as the dots danced around her vision and as everything left her.

oOo

InuYasha growled deeply into his chest as he transformed back into his true hanyou form. He had always hated his human nights, but now he hated a lot of things. Miroku and Sango had no clue to why InuYasha's attitude was so bitter until he venomously told them everything that had transpired. At first they had been shocked but then when Miroku sighed heavily and rubbed the bridge of his nose, the hanyou frowned.

"You threatened to kill her?" The monk asked as if he had heard correctly.

"YES!" InuYasha pouted crossing his arms over his chest, "she completely deserves what ever happens to her!"

"How can you sit here and say that!" Sango yelled jumping onto her feet with a glare that could kill. "She's only human!"

"Well maybe that's the fucking problem!" The hanyou retorted furiously.

Sango snapped at those words and punched the hanyou in the jaw. She couldn't believe that InuYasha could stand there and blame someone's mistakes on their being human.

"How dare you!" She growled grabbing her boomerang and leaving the hut.

Miroku sighed heavily as he watched his wife storm off, some things would never change, like her hotheadedness, but the monk agreed with her one-hundred percent. Switching his gaze to his hanyou friend, Miroku cleared his throat before he began on his lecture.

"InuYasha I don't believe you handled that situation too well," Miroku said calmly. "And just because Kagome's human doesn't mean that she doesn't regret what she did. Even you said yourself that she tried to tell you what happened."

"KEH!" InuYasha grumbled, "so what are you saying monk?"

"I'm only saying that you should hear her out before jumping to conclusions and threatening to kill her. Go back and listen to what she has to say before you condemn her."

"Why should I go back and listen to her!" InuYasha argued.

"Because the InuYasha I knew wouldn't have left her like that when he had tried so hard to make her stay!" Miroku retorted just as annoyed as Sango was.

InuYasha angrily jumped to his feet and punched a fist sized hole into the hut before he left. Miroku cringed at first and tried hard to smile, but couldn't. there was an ominous feeling in the air and it was seemingly putting a lot of people completely on edge. Waiting for Sango to return, the monk patiently waited but was surprised when Minoru and Seiko came running into the hut.

"Mama says that there are demons heading our way!" Minoru gasped, "all of the villagers were instructed to go hide!"

"YEAH!" Seiko chimed in, "Mommy and Kirara are going to need help! There's lots of them coming fastly!"

Miroku grabbed his staff as quickly as he could and instructed his kids to hide with Ayumi in a small place out of anyone's line of vision and then he headed off into the direction of Kirara's loud growls of war. The children were right, it was as if a horde of different youkai just suddenly decided to attack the nearest village, yet it couldn't have been that simple either.

"Where's InuYasha?" Miroku yelled to Sango as he brought his staff down on a demon only to kill a few others with his sutra's.

"I don't know!" Sango replied throwing her boomerang at near by demons. "But where did all these youkai come from? Its as if they came out of nowhere!"

oOo


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: Oh, yeah I don't own InuYasha but I do own the rights to this story save for the characters!**

_**Back to you**_

_**By Miztikal-Dragon**_

_**Chapter Eighteen: Back from the dead**_

Kagome groaned as she blinked, she was regaining consciousness and the lack of light stung her eyes more so than brightness would. She had no clue to where she was, but she couldn't move her body and the dull throbbing pain in her shoulder let her know she wasn't paralyzed like she had first believed. Not being able to rub her eyes, Kagome closed them and waited for them to adjust before trying to open them again. Thinking about what had happened, Kagome heard the shuffling of clothing, who ever it was had either shot the arrow that pierced her shoulder or someone who had found her; she was leaning towards the ladder.

"I know you're awake," a woman's voice said rather irritably. "So don't try fooling me girl, I've got a few questions to ask you."

"Who are you?" Kagome asked glancing up at the woman.

"It doesn't matter right now who I am," Tsubaki replied. "What I want to know is if you aren't the priestess Kikyo then who by chance are you and how are you connected to InuYasha?"

Kagome frowned somewhat confused by the curiosity of the woman before her. She immediately knew that the woman was obviously not one of the "good" guys so she wasn't too sure if she should give away anything that could hurt InuYasha in the long run. Sighing heavily, Kagome looked away from the woman and tried hard to keep her composure because now wasn't the time to break down.

"I'm no one," Kagome whispered sullenly.

The woman chuckled as she forced Kagome to look her in the eyes. At first Kagome stared into the deep eyes of the woman until the red bled in and one name she never thought she'd say again fell from her lips.

"Naraku…"

The woman's eyes narrowed accusingly as she stood up. Kagome could see the disgust the woman felt as clear as day and Kagome was a little afraid that the woman was going to do something that Kagome would later regret.

"Let's not say that foul hanyou's name in my presence," She snapped venomously. "If you must know my name is Tsubaki. I was a priestess until InuYasha brought me down with his claws…"

The woman named Tsubaki would have continued with her story if she would have had the chance. Her eyes went wide as she clawed at her throat, something obviously wanted to come out by the baseball sized lump heading up her esophagus. Kagome wanted to scream in horror as the woman's throat split open and a pale hand came out as if it was reaching for something. The dark miko's body melted and the air smelt like burnt flesh as the purple smoke poured out from nowhere. Kagome coughed raggedly, the weird smoke hurt her lungs and she felt as though she couldn't breathe.

A sinister laugh brought Kagome from her thoughts and her eyes directly to the figure of a man shadowed by the darkness and the smoke surrounding them. .She didn't want to believe what her gut was telling her, but Kagome knew whose laugh that it belonged to. He slowly came towards her, his red eyes practically glowing with an evil light. He may have been stark naked, but it wasn't the nudity in front of Kagome that made her faint, it was knowing who stood holding the world in his hands looming over her and the words he seemed to sing with malice.

"It's been a long time hasn't it Kagome…"

oOo

InuYasha couldn't believe that Sango and Miroku weren't on his side and it irritated him to no end. How dare they suggest that he would ever want a person like Kagome to stay with him, he was supposed to be with Kikyo and Kikyo only. These images he'd been seeing since Kagome had to be some sort of spell she'd placed over him while he was pinned to the tree. The monk and demon exterminator had to be wrong! It just wasn't physically possible that he himself had killed Naraku with his bare claws and fallen in love with a girl, all of which he didn't have any recollection of.

"WHY!" He yelled running as fast as his legs could go, "why can't I put this all together? Why can't I understand?"

The wind didn't answer his cries, but it blew comfortingly around him as he tried to find away to put his thoughts into something that would be easier to decipher. He may have wanted not to believe what his friends were saying, but he couldn't ignore the fact that there was a rather large portion of his life missing and his heart yearned to find out what it exactly was that seemed to be missing. There would still be about a few hours left of daylight and he wanted to gather his priorities and set them straight.

The hanyou headed towards a place that he knew would be an easy place where the crickets chirped and that was about it. He wanted to be by himself because he knew that there were things going on that he wasn't able to comprehend the things around pointed to the heavy air that screamed for chaos. Something was coming and no matter how unprepared he would later be, InuYasha was going to try and be ready for whatever was coming. InuYasha would eventually realize that all his answers had been directly in front of him since the very beginning, but the fact of the matter would he be able to find himself before he would lose it all?

oOo

Naraku loathed the human laying unconscious on the ground a few feet before him and smiled, she remembered who he was. It may have been a little more than ten years since his own demise, but it all had something to do with the woman that he now stared at with hatred. She was the reason why InuYasha was able to find the inner demon and strike the evil hanyou down so easily. Naraku wanted to make the human girl before him sufferer even more so than she currently was, he wanted to see the vision of death deep within her dark brown pupils as everything she held dear crumbled in her hands like a lump of dirt. He wanted to make her feel the pain he had when InuYasha had torn into his chest and ripped out his beating heart before squishing it like a bug.

"You might as well kill me now Naraku," he hadn't realized that she'd awaken, but he didn't let his surprise show as his red eyes watched her.

"And why do you say such a silly thing like that my pet?" He said so sweetly that his tone sounded sickeningly sour, "don't you want your precious InuYasha to come and save you?"

Kagome dryly laughed at his remark and he narrowed his eyes. She slowly licked her lips before she looked up at the evil hanyou with her dull brown eyes, they almost lacked all signs of life and it make Naraku curious to see what she meant and what she was planning to say.

"Because," she started closing her eyes for a moment or two. "He won't come for me… He's already threatened to kill me himself so I have absolutely not value to you or you're half assed plans to kill InuYasha."

"Don't' be too sure of that," Naraku said emotionlessly as he picked at his fingers. "InuYasha will come to your aide. I will be sure of that… He'll know my whereabouts soon enough so don't worry your pretty little head just yet."

oOo

_****He hid in the brush of the trees watching her as she ran, the tears in her eyes completely visible from where he hid. He was on the hunt and she was his prey. Many thoughts ran through his mind and even if he knew that what he was seeing was some sort of dream, it sure as hell looked real. She was wearing shorts and a shirt that was dark and had barely any sleeves, it was a type of attire that he'd never seen before, but it looked so good on her. InuYasha relaxed and decided to let his little day dream play out, it couldn't be that bad could it?_

"_Wench, where do you think you're going?" The voice inside his mind growled. _

_He could hear her faint gasp as he watched her turn to look at him. She looked as though she was afraid of him, but something about her face was different; she was younger. _

"_I--InuYasha?" She stuttered, he wanted to snort, but she continued shakily. "I-I am going home…"_

"_Did I ever tell you that you could go home?" The words sounded too harsh for his liking, but his body moved forwards, the younger version of Kagome._

"_Well I don't need your permission to go home! I am my own person!" Her voice was growing more confident as the anger flashed in her eyes. _

"_As far as I'm concerned wench you do!" His voice was threatening and as he hopelessly watched himself grab her wrist and practically throw her to the ground, he became uneasy. Something wasn't right with this dream, but he was powerless to stop it. _

_And that's where it all began to go downhill, he could only watch himself as he brutally hurt Kagome. Dragging his claws down the backs of her thighs, the blood spilling made the hanyou want to gag, but he was in shock and it still continued to get worse. InuYasha listened painfully to her screams of agony, but it wouldn't stop. _

"_A woman always seems to look so radiant and fragile before she dies," InuYasha was screaming at himself to let go, but he couldn't._

"_No, please… just leave me alone InuYasha, please," she was begging through her tear filled eyes and he wanted to cry himself. _

The hanyou was being utterlessly tortured by these seemingly never ending images, but the violence only kept going. He could hear his laughter and his mind began to focus. It was Naraku's laughter, but it was InuYasha's voice. InuYasha cringed each time he was forced to watch himself do unspeakable things to the girl who now looked completely defeated. He fought back to hold onto his sanity, the hanyou was watching himself killing Kagome. Every scratch, gash, and bruise he could see perfectly and it was then that he remembered the words he'd said to her before InuYasha turned his back on her.

'_I don't want to see you again Kagome, so don't follow me or I will kill you.'_

He hated himself as the dream faded from his eyes and he found himself at the bone eater's well where it all had transpired. Disgust ran through his blood as he stared down at his own claws. For all he knew they could have already been stained with Kagome's blood, but he couldn't be sure of it just yet. Still things seemed to be different and they didn't add up. How could she still want to be with him if he'd tried to kill her?

It was then as he stood there did something finally go off in his head and the things he'd forgotten began to trickle back into his mind. He wasn't too happy with what he was able to figure out and remember, but he had an overwhelming feeling that Naraku wasn't dead and the single arrow that held both Kagome's scent and that of something sinister only seemed to make these thoughts increase tenfold.

"I'll be waiting for you InuYasha," it was indeed Naraku's voice. "I have something that belongs to you… So you'd better hurry up and find me before she loses the game."

oOo


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: Oh, yeah I don't own InuYasha but I do own the rights to this story save for the characters!**

_**Back to you**_

_**By Miztikal-Dragon**_

_**Chapter Nineteen: Giving up everything for you**_

Kagome's mind screamed for any reassurance that she could think of. She didn't want InuYasha to come and save her, she wanted him to stay as far away possible. A lot of the things that happened were her fault and she was determined to solver her own problems. She wanted to show Inuyasha that she was a strong person and that her sacrifices when she was seventeen weren't completely in vain.

Naraku promised her pain and agony, but she already knew what he could to her and she laughed. Yes, Kagome laughed at Naraku even though she was afraid of him, in a way she wasn't at all. She had grown up so much emotionally since she first left InuYasha, she may have had a stronger mind and body, but her heart was still so weak. All Kagome had wanted was Inuyasha's love, but that was something she was only allowed once in her life time and she had let it go without so much as a fight. Deep down she thought of herself as the worst person in the world, sometimes even more pathetic than Naraku himself.

"You know love is something so fickle," she told Naraku offhandedly. "No matter what you do there is always something lurking in the darkness trying to sway the lover's bond. Always."

"Are you trying to hint something my pet?" Naraku laughed callously.

"No," Kagome replied sitting up. "But I noticed something that I really never thought was true. My father said it to me once and I didn't fully understand until I watched InuYasha walk away from me."

"And why is that?" He was irritated yet wanted to know her answer.

"The line between love and hate is so thin," Kagome said bluntly. "Sometimes so thin that one cannot tell whether or not which one they feel. Love is hate, hate is love… It's all the same in the end no matter what anybody says."

oOo

InuYasha didn't have any clue to which direction he was to go in and there were no scents that he could catch that would be able to lead him in the right direction. It was almost hopeless for him. He needed answers, yet he couldn't figure out the questions, his mind was one enormous jumble. Thousands of thoughts raced in his head, there were a lot of loose ends to his memory and they needed to be put back into their place but how?

Time slowly passed by and before he knew it, Sango and Miroku were heading towards him. They ran side by side, Sango with her massive boomerang and Miroku with his holy staff. The two of them looked as if they'd seen a ghost and when they stopped, both of them breathing heavily, InuYasha noticed something that wasn't there earlier. Miroku's hand had the rosary wrapped around it again. Naraku was really alive again and the rosary proved it beyond any reasonable doubt.

"What are you doing just standing there like a fool InuYasha?" Sango demanded.

"I thought he was dead,' InuYasha said. "you told me that I had killed him over ten years ago, but how is he still alive?"

"We don't know," Miroku frowned staring down at his right hand. "I watched you kill him myself InuYasha, but I think that it has something to deal with that dark priestess Tsubaki."

"Tsubaki?" InuYasha asked confused. "How is she involved in this? I killed her back before Kikyo died! How the fuck is everyone I've killed coming back to life? That bastard Sesshomaru better not behind this or I'll kick his ass!"

"I highly doubt that's the case," Sango said annoyed. "Tsubaki was revived by Naraku you dolt! Miroku and I think that she's the reason why Naraku's all of a sudden alive and kicking. Because there is just no other reason to make the once dead come back to life."

oOo

Kagome smiled inwardly as she traced circles on the ground, she was ignoring her again. She had been ranting about every bad thing in her life, exaggerating on some things and Naraku was only able to listen. She was sure that he could have hit her or possibly killed her, but Kagome had the feeling that Naraku needed her unharmed or he wouldn't have put up with her crap. Getting to her feet, Kagome glanced around the room, she needed to find a way to escaped the place she was in. She hoped that he wouldn't hear her, but she wasn't sure if she could leave unnoticed, things just weren't that simple anymore.

Finding away out proved to be very difficult, she ws not very patient, but tried to keep herself in check. She didn't want anything to go wrong until after she was away from the place she was in now. Holding her breath as she heard something, Kagome silently waited until it passed by her, everything was starting to look like a "James Bond" movie, but gone horribly wrong. Turning a corner, Kagome came face to face with an irritated Naraku. Her scream was loud as she threw her hands in front of herself, a burning sensation traveling throughout her body and leaving through her fingertips.

She listened to Naraku's cry of surprise and pain, but she didn't stick around long enough to asset the damage done. She was sure that it was horrible. The first thing she did was ran as if the devil was at her heels and she was pretty sure that he was. She could hear his laughing as she left the castle that Naraku had taken her to, she had to get out before Naraku could find her or at least hope for a miracle. She hadn't even ran twenty feet out of the castle grounds when she tried to get through a small body of water. Something seemed to reach out from the ground and wrap around her ankle. She screamed loudly as she fell to the ground, the brown like vine was pulling her into the ground as if she was in quick sand. No matter how hard she tried to hold onto something, it pulled her deeper.

oOo

InuYasha, Sango, and Miroku had resorted to childish bicker and it was over the dumbest thing in the world, who was right and who was wrong. It would have gone on for a while later, if right as InuYasha was about to say something a strange eerie wind blew and a scent reached his nose. It was Kagome's. His mouth immediately closed and his eyes widened, he couldn't let anyone else try and take her from him. Taking no time to tell his friends what was going on, the hanyou darted into the forest before leaping into the sky, by her scent he knew that Kagome wasn't too far away, but the problem was would he be able to reach her in time?

His mind was working on overdrive as he thought about the possible scenarios that he could find Kagome in. He didn't want to think so negatively, but it was a force of habit for him. Practically flying over the tress, InuYasha could plainly see the large castle in the distance as well as hear the faint scream, Kagome was defiantly in trouble. Pushing himself harder, the hanyou glanced frantically around for her, and when he finally spotted her his blood ran cold. It looked as though she was being sucked into the ground as she struggled to get free or cling to something.

"Kagome!" He couldn't recognize his own voice, but she did and her eyes were wide with fear, her ebony hair sticking to her face.

She was already chest deep into the ground, the water around her not helping her situation at all. She screamed for him and he was over by her side in less than the blink of an eyes, his clawed hands grabbing hers, trying to pull her from whatever seemed to have a mind of its own. Pulling Kagome harder, it didn't want to let go. InuYasha could feel his grasp slipping and he tried his hardest to keep her head above the water.

"InuYasha look out!" Kagome cried out, her eyes wide with fear.

InuYasha turned to see what was japanning and immediately dodged the lavender haired person behind him. He didn't know exactly where the demon had come from, but the hanyou knew that he didn't have the time to be fooling around when Kagome needed help. Cracking his knuckles, InuYasha jumped back as the demon attacked, but the hanyou dove for his opponent and slashed at him with his razor sharp claws. The demon easily evaded InuYasha's attack and frustrated, the hanyou unsheathed Tetsusaiga from his side and watched the battered Katana turn into a large fang pulsing with power.

"I'm going to kick your ass!" InuYasha growled as he lunged at the demon only to be thrown back.

He collided with the ground roughly, his sword flying from his hands and landing yards away, completely untransformed. Quickly getting to his feet, InuYasha glanced around for his opponent but the lavender hair demon was lo longer anywhere in sight, he had vanished without a trace.

"Pathetic half-breed," Naraku's voice cooed from all around. "You are like a hyper child, you can't keep yourself focused on the true task at hand…"

His blood ran cold as he stared directly into the spot where Kagome had been. The water was still and as his feet slowly took him closer, he could plainly see her midnight black hair underneath the water. She was submerged under the water and he could see the palm of her hand sticking out of the ground. Dropping to his knees, the hanyou dug his claws into the mud, trying to pry loose her ands so he could pull her out. It didn't take long and as soon as Sango and Miroku came to the seen did Kagome's body come out of the now mud that had dragged her down. InuYasha was frantic as Sango administered CPR on the unconscious girl, he didn't want her to die.

oOo

He sat silently next to the futon she was sleeping on, he was worried that she wouldn't wake up, but scared of the fact that he had almost lost her forever. InuYasha hadn't moved in house as he watched the motionless Kagome, it was killing him to know that it was his fault why she was in her current state. Sango had been able to get Kagome to choke up all the water she swallowed, but Kagome hadn't stayed conscious long enough for a thorough check over. Gently running his clawed hand through her hair, the hanyou sighed, he still hadn't regained all his memories and the ones he had tore him up inside.

There was nothing but sadness, betrayal, and the things he wished that had never happened, but he couldn't remember anything that told him how he really felt about Kagome. Sure he had the enormous feeling in his chest that told him so and the small memories of a few kisses he and Kagome shared, but nothing concrete. He didn't know if his mind was playing tricks on him or it was the real deal. Touching her cheek, InuYasha leaned back on his arms, he just didn't know what to feel and it hurt him to think about all the pain he was causing Kagome.

"I don't understand," he whispered softly. "I Don't understand how I'm supposed to feel about you Kagome… I don't' know whether I love you or hate you, but I hope that it's the ladder. Something tells me to stay close to you, to keep you as my own, but I'm afraid of being wrong. I'm afraid that one day you'll l3eave me and I'll be alone… I can't say why I feel this way, but I do and I don't' understand why."

Cupping her cheek in his hand, the hanyou slowly closed the space in between them and placed a chaste kiss on Kagome's slightly parted lisp. He hoped that he would find his answer soon because he didn't know if he could her safe while being unsure of his own self. Pulling away, he sat up straight, he would keep watch until Kagome opened her eyes.

oOo

E/N: That's the chapter for you! Don't know when the next update will be but remember if you want more you MUST review!

-Krystal-


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: Oh, yeah I don't own InuYasha but I do own the rights to this story save for the characters!**

_**Back to you**_

_**By Miztikal-Dragon**_

_**Chapter Twenty: Sit! Bi-polar Style. **_

His heart was pounding wildly in his chest as he ran, it was early in the morning by the looks of it and he didn't know what he was doing but he was nervous. He was scared. The trees passed by as he ran to his destination, it was as if he would die if he didn't get there in time. A moment went by and InuYasha realized where he was headed, it was towards the bone eater's well, but why? His question answered it as everything cleared out of his way and he saw Kagome standing on the lip of the well trying to lift what looked like a heavy pack only to over use her weight and losing her balance. The hanyou didn't stop to think as he darted for her, his clawed hands wrapping around her waist and pulling her into chest. Her forearms were trapped between their bodies, but her fingers clutched his haori as if it was her last life line.

_'What the hell is going on?'_ He asked himself realizing he was having yet another creepy "dream."

"Kagome," there was something familiar in the tone of his own voice and he immediately recognized it as worry. "Are you okay?"

Her once closed eyes flew open and he could see the surprise in her brown orbs as well as hear the gasp that came from her lips. There was a sudden scent of salt in the air and the hanyou knew that Kagome was fighting back her tears as she hid her face in his chest.

"I told you not to come after me InuYasha," her voice was weak and shaky, she was really crying and her grasp on his haori only tightened.

"I could never do that Kagome, I-" He was now nuzzling his head into the younger version of Kagome's shoulder. "I love you and I'll be damned before I let you try and leave me again!"

InuYasha couldn't believe that he heard himself correctly, he loved Kagome? It oddly enough did make more sense, but as some of his questions diminished, more popped up in their place. Like "then why did he not remember?" Or "What happened all those year ago and why weren't they together if he loved her?" To bad the hanyou didn't know that his new questions too would be answered.

"Please don't make this harder than it already is," she was begging.

"Kagome," he heard himself say sternly but his tone was slightly quivering as he spoke. "When I read the letter my heart broke! I can't lose you! I don't know what I would do without you! You promised that you'd never leave me again! Did you mean it?" The hanyou was confused, but his 'dream' self continued, "I can't move on, can't you see it Kagome? When I see myself I see you by my side as my mate! I don't want to live without you! I couldn't bare it for long."

InuYasha could feel the desperation in his own words and it was as if he was putting salt on the wounds he believed he never had, but had suddenly resurfaced.

"Stop InuYasha," she demanded pushing him away angrily. "I don't wish for you to proclaim your love for me! I don't deserve it. You have to move on InuYasha, forget about me, let the memories die for they will not be a reality! It can't end happy for I could never give you happiness. So please InuYasha, don't stop me!" It was then that she turned away from him and began to walk away from him.

"NO!" He all but growled as he grabbed her wrist and pulled her roughly against his chest.

The hanyou had felt like somebody ripped out his heart when she turned away from him and he couldn't deal with it, dream self or not. It was as if his animalistic side was taking over as his lips crashed down upon Kagome's in a deadening kiss. Even if it didn't feel right it was something that had to be done in order to make her understand. His tongue slid across her lips and as she gasped, it darted slowly into her mouth, he was going to try and persuade her to stay. It seemed to be working as he snaked his arms around her waist, intensifying what he started and she relaxed into his body before he slowly ended their heated kiss.

"I don't want to move on and my memories of you shall never die." Oh how ironic the world seemed to be, "I wish for them to always stay in my mind. The only thing that will make me happy is if you were to stay and let me love you because your smiling face makes me happy. The sweet and innocent moments that we spend together," his voice was getting more distant as the images begun to fade. The hanyou was beginning to wake up. "Rather it be from a far or you in my arms, that's what makes me happy. I can't choose who I am destined to love Kagome because my heart has chosen you along time ago. So please, don't leave me. I need you."

InuYasha struggled to stay asleep, he had to find out what happened, he had to know how things had ended because they didn't look as though they were leaning in his direction. Bringing his clawed hand to his face, the hanyou opened his eyes and realized that it would be morning soon, he hadn't been sleeping for more than a few hours. Running his clawed hand through his silver locks of hair, the hanyou glanced down to where Kagome laid and his heart skipped a beat. She was no where in sight. Jumping to his feet, InuYasha left the hut and frantically looked around until he spotted her retreating form in the distance.

Trying his best to calm down his racing heart, the hanyou somewhat quickly followed after Kagome. He didn't understand everything that was running through his mind, but something deep inside was afraid that if Kagome left his sight she would surely disappear forever. Clenching his fists as he stepped on a rock, he hissed silently, he needed to start paying attention to where he was going or he could seriously hurt his feet. Taking his eyes off Kagome for a moment, InuYasha closed his amber eyes and tried to recall the odd dream that he had dreamt. It had been so unnerving and called to his heart, it had seemed so real and the hanyou was beginning to believe that it was. It was one thing to have a realistic dream, but it was a completely different thing when he felt everything seen deep inside his bones. InuYasha sighed heavily, opening his eyes as he slowly walked closer to Kagome. There were feelings coursing through his veins that he remembered experiencing before and he had to find out if he was making the worst mistake in his life.

_**oOo**_

Rolling over onto her side, Kagome mentally groaned, she really wanted to just go back to her dream world but she couldn't be able anytime soon. Slowly sitting up she stretched before glancing around, she was inside a hut and it was most likely either Kaede's or Miroku's and Sango's. A flash of silver aught the corner of her vision and Kagome found herself staring directly at a sleeping InuYasha. A smile pursed her lips as she leaned over to where he was and gently touched his tanned face. She always thought he was so beautiful when he slept. Quickly pulling her hand back as InuYasha moved mumbling under his breath, she watched him carefully, to her he was so entrancing.

Tears stung the back of her eyes as she thought about all the things they had gone through, it was heart breaking. Blinking back the moisture in her eyes, Kagome climbed to her feet, she needed to think. She needed to get out of the small hut because it was smothering her. The cold air hit her face once she was outside and Kagome let out a heavy sigh, the feudal era she was currently in was so relaxing and in a way it was her home. The ground felt good against her feet as she calmly walked down the dirt road. She wasn't sure of where she was going to but Kagome would find out when she stopped. At the moment the only thing she was worried about was how dirty her feet were going to be after her little walk.

Kagome laughed at herself for how stupid her thoughts were; they were so pathetic that she couldn't believe that she had been so worried over it before. Inhaling deeply, she wrapped her arms around herself as she kept her eyes forward, it was still early since the sun still was not up, but the sky was gently glowing. Kagome couldn't help but smile at the scenery around her, it was soothing and helped her relax more than she thought was possible. Sitting down on a grassy hill, Kagome pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her head on them as she looked ahead.

Minutes passed by quickly for Kagome and she could feel him coming towards her. The sun was beginning to rise and she knew that another day would come to fruitation, but what was in store was a complete mystery. Letting a smile come to her face she ran her fingers through her somewhat tangled hair, it would need to be brushed and probably washed later.

"You can come sit by me if you like InuYasha," Kagome said not glancing behind herself. "I promise that I won't bite you."

Hearing his stubborn snort, she wanted to laugh but resisted the desire as she felt his haori brush against her arms when he sat down next to her. She took a quick glance at him and could feel the blush heating her cheeks, she suddenly had the urge to touch him whether be his haori or his skin. Returning her gaze to the scenery in front of her, Kagome swallowed the lump growing in her throat.

"He didn't hurt you did he?" InuYasha asked before she could say anything first.

"No," She replied. "He didn't hurt me, he didn't even touch me at a--"

His clawed hand laid over her hand and his eyes were suddenly staring into hers, laced with something so familiar. "I don't quite understand what's going on but when I saw you being dragged under the water by those vines, something inside me snapped. I thought that I was going to lose you and I don't know what I would do if I did." There was desperation in his voice, but it was so soft that Kagome didn't dare to blink. "I'm not sure of how I really feel about you yet, but I know that I didn't mean what I said earlier. I would never do anything intentionally to hurt you."

"InuYasha I-" She started only to have him cut her off.

"Wait, I'm not done yet." The hanyou said almost urgently. "I know that there is a huge piece of my life missing, I can feel it, but until I can remember everything I wanna know that you'll always be there for me." InuYasha's voice wavered a bit and Kagome saw his trembling, it was taking a lot for him to say everything. "I wanna know if you'll willing stay by my side for as long as it takes. I don't wanna be without you."

It was as if the air had been sucked from her lungs because Kagome could have sworn that she couldn't breathe. She didn't know what to do, she wanted to cry, she wanted to scream with joy, but all she could do was stare at the trembling hanyou in front of her, his amber eyes searching for something positive. Kagome opened and closed her mouth a few times, though poorly imitating a fish, she couldn't find herself able to say the words she wanted to scream from every hillside and mountain top. InuYasha's eyes lowered and he sighed heavily climbing to his feet, he didn't understand why he poured his heart out to her, but he did. It hurt his ego badly when she didn't answer and he immediately knew why; she didn't feel the same as he did. The hanyou had jumped the gun by trying to believe what Miroku said, he should have known better because all he received was rejection.

"InuYasha wait!" Kagome cried out as she grabbed his clawed hand.

The hanyou frowned angrily as he shot a glare at the girl a few feet away from him. Sure he wasn't mad at her, but at himself because he had been a fool to be telling himself that anybody wanted a hanyou. He was pathetic for wanting to be loved and having someone to love. Tearing his hand from her grasp InuYasha growled, he couldn't stand to be next to her at the moment, he needed to get away.

"Why don't you go home!" He didn't want to sound as rough as he did, but couldn't help it.

The look in Kagome's eyes were devastated but instead of crying, she narrowed her eyes, she was getting upset. "Why don't you quit acting like an angst-ridded boy and grow up InuYasha? I don't understand you! You're so fucking bi-polar that a woman during menopause looks like a mere kitten! So why don't you SIT down and get your act together? If you need me I'll be through the well. I'm totally going home!"

_**oOo**_

_**E/N: YAY another chapter finished! lol Well I know that wasn't too happy but oh well. I was editing "A Prisoner to his passion" late last night and I was surprised how well it was written since the whole story was kinda rushed. It helped remind me exactly how much I loved writing stories, well that and me re-reading all the reviews that people left me. I laughed so hard at some of the reviews because they were funny. **_

_**HAPPY TURKEY DAY! (Thanksgiving) and please leave a review!**_

_**-Krystal-**_


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer: Oh, yeah I don't own InuYasha but I do own the rights to this story save for the characters!**

_**Updated on 1/22/06 -**Sorry for such the long wait!_

_**Back to you**_

_**By Miztikal-Dragon**_

**_Chapter Twenty-One: Relaxation for some, irritation for others. _**

InuYasha cried out in shock when he was dragged face first into the ground by the rosary around his neck. The hanyou didn't realize that it was there until she uttered that one word that sent gooseflesh crawling over his skin. Many different curses spilled from his lips as he struggled to get up, but none were able to curve the steadily rising anger in his stomach. It was a while until the rosary let him stand again, however, by the time Kagome was already long gone down the bone eater's well. He had followed her scent to make sure she hadn't gotten far, but she was already out of sight and the only was to bring her back was to go down the well and drag her stubborn ass back.

As tempting as it sounded to InuYasha, he wasn't too keen on going into the well after the last incident. No matter how angry he was at her for "sitting" him, the hanyou wouldn't jump down the old well 'from hell'. TO say he was just plain stubborn was an understatement as he crossed his arms defiantly over his chest and turned his back on the well, snubbing it as if it were a real person. He wasn't going to let Kagome get the best of him! Determined to wait her out, InuYasha plopped down on the green grass and narrowed his amber eyes, he would remain vigil until the 'bitch' decided to quit her tantrum.

Minutes passed by slowly and on more than one occasion did the hanyou burst into sneezing fits, Kagome was cursing him and it only made his temper flare even more. He grumbled the day away like it was nothing and even though his stomach protested his actions as well as his legs, the hanyou refused to move from his spot. He would be sure to show her that he wasn't a push over, that he couldn't be easily taken advantage of. Miroku had come and gone, his unsuccessful attempts to get the hanyou to either come back to the village or preferably go after Kagome were ignored and left on deaf ears. The hanyou had his mind set, but how long would he last?

oOo

Sango sighed almost overdramatically as she watched Miroku tread home without Kagome and InuYasha. Kaede had been the one to inform them about the little quarrel the hanyou and miko had and it honestly couldn't have happened at a worse time. Naraku had been resurrected and Miroku's wind tunnel resurfaced, which gave Sango and her family so much more than an evil hanyou to worry about. There was a large possibility that her husband could be consumed by his wind tunnel and their only son would have to carry the same burden that all the houshi's before him had to, it was devastating to say the least.

The needle work that Sango had tried to teach her eldest daughter was left unfinished due to frustration and was angrily thrown across the hut. She didn't know why she started such feminine habits when she and every other damn person in the village knew that they wouldn't stick, she just wasn't woman material. Telling her daughter to run along, the demon exterminator took a skeptical glance at her youngest daughter before taking the small child into her arms and leaving the small hut, she needed fresh air. Heading to where Miroku stood talking to Kaede, Sango tried to clear all her angry thoughts from her mind, she had to find something more productive to do, like maim a certain hanyou or maybe take Kirara for a ride. Something to release her pent up energy.

"Sango my love," Miroku sang as he kissed the tip of her nose, his blue eyes trying to give her reassurance. "Kagome has gone through the well and from the looks of it, InuYasha had the 'sit' of his life. He thinks he can wait her out by sitting in front of the bone eater's well like a fool."

"How long do you think he'll last until he realizes he's not going to win with some childish antic?" She asked letting a small smile purse her lips, Miroku always knew how to put her in a slightly better mood.

"I'll give him until tomorrow night the latest," the monk laughed taking Ayumi into his arms. "Tonight earliest, the stubborn ass."

oOo

Kagome grumbled to herself as she climbed out of the bone eater's well. She felt almost like a teenager again, but she quickly tossed those thoughts from her mind, she was nothing like her teenaged self. She had grown up for the better. Dusting herself off half-heartedly, Kagome left the mini-shrine and headed in the direction of her empty house, she needed a bath and probably a nice stiff drink to go with it. Sighing heavily Kagome haphazardly pulled the clothes from her body and trekked up her stairs in only her undergarments, it wasn't like she was expecting anyone to come to her place anytime soon so it didn't matter if she tossed her clothing on the floor for a bit.

Going to the bathroom, Kagome reached the knobs and turned on the shower, her eyes sparkling in delight at the sight of the hot water pouring like rain from the showerhead, in door plumbing was a godsend. Stripping off the rest of her clothing, she hesitantly climbed into the shower, directly under the water spout. The hot water stung her skin, but in the end it was rewarding. A groan of pleasure escaped her throat as she grabbed a near by bottle of shampoo and started the simple task of washing her hair, it was something she has missed. Despite her own mental protests, Kagome quickly scrubbed her skin until it was pink before turning off the water and reluctantly leaving the comforts of her precious shower with only a large towel to cover her nudge and wet body.

"Oh relaxing shower how much I took you for granted in the past!" she said dramatically as a farewell while walking down the hall to her bedroom.

The sight of her room wasn't as appealing as she'd originally believed it would be, but none the less she found a pair of old sweatpants and a t-shirt to wear. Dressing seemed to be the easiest thing she'd done in days and after tossing her hair into a ponytail, Kagome jumped on her bed and embraced her pillow with vigor until a fading scent caught her nose. It was the masculine smell of InuYasha from when he'd slept there.

Kagome sighed heavily as she rose from her comfortable bed, there was no way that she was going to be able to relax when she could plainly smell him on her bed. She would have to wash her sheets later. She was pretty sure that by now she didn't have a job anymore, but it didn't seem to bother her, Kagome never liked her job anyway. Heading out of her room and down the stairs, Kagome could smell the intoxicating aroma of coffee that waited for her in the kitchen. Her stomach decided to grumble at that moment and she found herself laughing sheepishly, she didn't remember the last time she had actually eaten anything.

Opening a few cupboards she found nothing really to her interest, so giving up she pulled the box of "Cocoa pebbles" out and lazily made herself a bowl of cereal. It wasn't the breakfast of champions, but she had to admit that it was better than nothing, besides, it was mostly chocolate so who was she to complain. Eventually taking her cereal and cup of steaming coffee into the living room, she set them down and groped around for the remote. What was better to watch while eating chocolate cereal other than cartoons? Time was wasted as she ate her food and sipped her drink, she had no other plans for the day, so being a couch potato fit in perfectly not that she really minded.

The empty bowl was forgotten after a while as well with half empty coffee mug as Kagome focused most of her attention on the television screen. IT sure didn't take long for her to become bored with the shows, but none the less she continued to watch the screen. The day went by like it had when she ws a small child, not leaving the comfort of her couch unless it was to either use the restroom or to make herself something to eat, but her cartoon watching only lasted a few hours until she became restless and switched it to something more than a half hour long. The old movies kept her company for the remainder of the day and well into the night. Her legs had fallen asleep a few times, yet not long after her eyes closed and it was her turn.

oOo

To say that he was bored was more than a passing statement, but InuYasha wouldn't let Kagome win, he ws still fixed on waiting her out. The blades of grass surrounding him were almost gone, he had been pulling them out one by one for a couple of hours, but quit when he realized that his hands had become wet. Night had fallen a while back and the hanyou was coming up empty handed on things to do to keep himself buys and just keeping himself busy was a task all of its own. Silently working the kinks from his neck, he let his amber eyes survey his surroundings, he was wasting his time waiting for Kagome to come back when he should have been spending it looking for Naraku.

There were probably a million reasons why Naraku had yet to come out in the open, but the evil hanyou's actions unnerved InuYasha, they were uncalculating, and nothing like his enemies "plan and conquer" routine. Maybe Naraku himself became bored with the usual defeat so he'd been desperate for anything and InuYasha smirked at the very thought. Stretching out his tired limbs, the hanyou glared angrily at the bone eater's well, he had the feeling that if he didn't go after Kagome now, she wasn't going to return and it made his blood boil. Going against his earlier judgments, InuYasha stomped to the well before jumping in, he had decided then that he wasn't going to let Kagome act like a spoiled brat. He wanted to put her in her place, but he had no clue how to go about doing it just yet.

At first InuYasha was greeted by the eerie warmth of the blue light that surrounded him after it faded and he jumped out of the well he could feel the gooseflesh crawling up his arms. There were things that he had yet to understand about the "dreams" he had but the faint smell of powder, blood, and death made him uneasy for many different reasons. Swallowing the lump of nervousness, the hanyou walked out of the little shrine hiding the well and followed Kagome's scent, he would show her who was boss.

oOo

Miroku thought long and hard about everything that had come to pass not even a few minutes before. The monk did not understand that even though he had won the bet with Sango about InuYasha going to fetch Kagome, he had somehow agreed to give his wife a non-sexual massage and make dinner for a week. Sure it's true that he' do just about anything for his beautiful wife, but how it was possible for her to manipulate him in a way that overwhelmed his senses was just playing dirty. Miroku recalled her laughter at his proclaiming Sango as an unfair player but she just smiled and replied with "it's not unfair to use someone's weakness against them. It's common sense." He however believed what she did to him to be in the category of cruel and unusual punishments for winning.

Cooking dinner for his family wasn't seen as a dreary task, but something he looked forward to as Sango tended to heir youngest daughter. The monk couldn't help but smile at the precious gift he was given, he couldn't have asked for more, hell he wouldn't dared to think about it. Letting a smile purse his lips as he stirred the stew, Miroku kept his eyes on his two other hell raisers as they argued about childish and petty things. Sango had asked him if they could be trained in the demon exterminator ways and at first he had hesitated. He didn't want his and Sango's kids growing up like they did, but it only seemed stupid to not give them some kind of defense against the evil that may come to when they were adults. Knock on wood of course.

Agreeing with her, Miroku proposed a compromise, they both would teach them together. Sango dealing with what she did best and Miroku his own. It was better to have both of two worlds than nothing at all. Trying to keep his spirits high seemed almost difficult as he glanced at the blue cloth covering his right hand, the prayer beads indicating that he didn't have the time that he and Sango both believed and together they prayed that they would defeat Naraku sooner than later so that Sango wouldn't have to watch him die and in return placing his family's curse on their only son.

oOo

**_E/N:_** OKay, so I'm having a really bad writer's block with this story, (this chapter was written months ago) but I have a few things already planned out. I have some of the next chapter done, but don't count on anything any time soon. There's only about maybe 4-5 more chapters left so rawr! I'm working on "Getting to know you" which is a "Will You Be Mine?" side story of Rin/Sessh, and a purly Miroku/Sango story. Dunno when they will be posted though...

**_Adult fanfiction:_**

Chanda: _It makes me giggle to know that you love my stories and that you're still reviewing! _

Azurephoenix: _Thanks, well I honestly dunno what to tell you about that though... I have a lot of work until I can get around to their romancing... sucks royally though!_

girlx16: _Thanks a lot, not many people tell me that. I do to, I do to! Thanks again MUCHO MUCHO! lol _

Lori: _It's okay don't worry about it, at least you reviewed unlike some peopel. (stares at the crowd) wow! That's a lot of paper, I've printed out stuff too so I know (tears) Well you and me both because I don't even know what Naraku's planning to do! _

Crystaru-chan: _(hides behind chair) I know! I haven't really been finding motivation to write lately besides my Yaoi original and I'm sorry (gets on hands and knees) I'm trying to hard and pulling up nothing! Forgive this lazy authoress!_

**_Mediaminer: _**

kagomeinuyashafan: _I don't hate people because they review late, I don't like people because they don't review! Thank you! its okay!_

**_Animespiral: _**

_Insert infamous Japanese wind... I can't get on the site so meh_

**_Fanfiction _**

REM1985: _Yes! It's addicting! rawr!_

XBlackRoseX909: _awww don't cry, you'll make me cry tooooo! Don't go crazy, I need some sanity here!_

Hanako HOrigome: _Yeah it's a sad story but thanks for reading! _

**So that's all for now! REVIEW!**

**Krystal.**


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer: Oh, yeah I don't own InuYasha but I do own the rights to this story save for the characters!**

_**Updated on 2/26/06 -**Sorry for such the long wait!_

_**Back to you**_

_**By Miztikal-Dragon**_

_**Chapter Twenty-Two: Crazy thoughts / Deadly plans **_

Darkness was everywhere, but the moonlight gave Inuyasha enough light so he knew where he was going. The air was heavier and the hanyou remembered the last time he was in Kagome's strange era and he shuddered. Walking around curiously he found himself relaxing, he didn't know exactly why, but it was as though he could feel the emptiness where the evil was supposed to be lurking. He was able to climb out of the well and into the open air, the only sounds were the crickets singing their nightly melodies to the stars. Letting out a heavy sigh, the hanyou followed Kagome's faint scent to the house he remembered. It looked bigger now that he took his time to glance at all of it, it was almost overwhelming.

Inside the house was almost as cold as it was outside and he frowned, did Kagome want to make herself sick? His senses were on high alert as his feet padded against the floor. He had to remain cautious, there was no telling what could happen to him while he was there. The noises were loud, but it drew attention to his ears and the hanyou followed it. Walking past a few large objects, InuYasha found himself in a strange room filled with Kagome's sweet scent. His eyes darted around spotting her next to the large glowing box, its white light pouring around her and making her pale skin seem to be illuminated. The anger he once felt washed away as he gazed at Kagome's sleeping face, it was so beautiful and peaceful that it left him feeling guilty for something that he had said.

Going over to where Kagome sat, InuYasha brushed the strands of hair from her face, he remembered how she looked asleep and he secretly cherished it. To him it seemed that she was only truly happen when she was sleeping and it hurt his chest. The feelings were all too familiar and something inside him screamed for him to take some kind of action. The past couldn't be repeated, his heart didn't have the strength for it. The hanyou sat down on the strange piece of furniture and gently pulled Kagome to him, guiding her head to lie on his chest. He wanted to feel the warmth of her body against his, he wanted to know her touch again, if he could.

Kagome moved in her sleep and InuYasha's body tensed as the girl got comfortable. She lay half on him, her fingers clutching his haori and her head lying on his shoulder. A lump formed in his throat as he watched her with wide eyes. Alien emotions flooded through him and he went with his instincts, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her closer. It would later be something he would be pummeled for, but he didn't care, he just wanted to hold his Kagome close.

His dog-ears twitched as he carefully tilted his head and rested it on the top of Kagome's mop of onyx hair. It was true that he was tried, but he didn't want to close his eyes, not yet at least. His free hand lay on Kagome's hip, rubbing her flesh in small circles with the pads of his fingertips, InuYasha knew that he cared for Kagome and he couldn't deny it. No not anymore, but he still had a few reservations.

"I don't know what's going on in my head anymore," he whispered into her hair as his eyes looked down. "I wanna trust my head, but its led me to hurt and confusion. I don't like feeling this way Kagome, I don't like feeling helpless or weak, but being with you makes it swell. There's still things missing and I don't know what they are yet, but I don't let you go anywhere without me. I can't trust myself right now, not until I can understand everything. Naraku's going to be tough to defeat and I know this, but I want you to be with me. I'm not sure how you really feel about me and right now I can't let myself worry about that. I just need you to be with me and we'll figure the rest out later. I'll figure out everything I promise."

A yawn fought its way from InuYasha's mouth and his eyes watered. He was tired, tired of a lot of things and he hoped that they would get better. There wasn't much time left, he knew it and the time for the biggest battle he would have to face would come to a head. Letting his eyes close, InuYasha took a deep breath, all he had left to do at the moment was hold Kagome close and get some rest. Things had to be done and evil half demons that needed to be permanently disposed of, but right then the only thing on InuYasha's mind was Kagome.

**_oOo_**

Naraku laid comfortably on the large futon smiling as he watched the hanyou's village through the mystic mirror Tsubaki's spiritual powers allowed him to create. His plans were going as he wished and if things continued to go his way, by morning the village would be demolished and the only thing that would be left was ashes. Never before had it been so easy destroying his enemies, but it made him smile because of the lack of effort.

The evil hanyou was currently posing as the prince of the place he was at, the actual prince having been devoured by his minions days before. It was like taking candy from a baby and Naraku rejoiced on his progress mentally. He was having such wonderful timing with everything and soon enough all of his work would pay off. Naraku could have the power that he lusted for, and he would have the hanyou InuYasha's head on a sliver platter within two days time.

With merely a flick of his wrist, the mirror before him disappeared into a cloud of smoke and in its place appeared a large black hole. Tonight he had plans for the village where the monk and demon slayer lived with their family, big plans. His Saminyoushi - the one's Tsubaki had custom made him flew out of his finger tips and into the black hole along with many other demons inside him. They would not return until every last human in that particular village was nothing but dead corpses, to them there was no such thing as failure.

"Lord Kuranosuke," a woman's meek voice asked through the screen. "Dinner is prepared and ready. Are you hungry?"

The last of the demons disappeared into the black hole and Naraku's red eyes faded back to black, it was time to play royalty and maybe even release some pent up energy on the new servant girl. Smirking evilly, Naraku got to his feet. "Yes I will be eating tonight, you may enter with my meal."

**_oOo_**

Dinner was eaten and the leftovers put away, and all three children cleaned and sent off to bed for the night. Sango was working on cleaning the dishes used with a large basin filled with hot water as Miroku added wood to the fire. The screen was closed for the night and Kirara was off hunting for the night. It had been practically yet another normal day with a few minor exceptions of course, but other than that, nothing.

Miroku watched his wife longingly before his gaze switched to his wretches right hand. Sometimes he found himself wondering if he could just chop off the damned cursed hand to rid himself of the wind tunnel, but he knew better than to do so. There was no knowledge of the repercussions and the monk was not too keen on finding them out. Feeling the angry tears prick at the backs of his eyes, Miroku frowned. It just wasn't fair that he had to pay for his grand father's inability to destroy Naraku the first time around or the fact that if Miroku himself couldn't, he'd be cursing his own family in the end. This time he would be sure that Naraku would die, and stay that way permanently or else his soul would never rest. There just was no other way for it to all be cleared, he would be sure to kill the fowl hanyou once and for all.

The touch of damp hands on his face brought Miroku from his thoughts and he found himself staring into the concerned deep brown eyes of his wife. He hadn't even realized that he was crying until her thumbs brushed the salt from his cheeks. It was too much for him and lowering his head, Miroku pulled Sango close, hiding his face in the apex of her neck and trying to calm himself down. Her arms wrapped around his back, her hands rubbing his shoulders in a soft circular motion. He was so close to giving up, but Sango would always be there for him to help him get back on the right path.

"It's okay Miroku," Sango whispered softly. "We will get through this together as a family. We'll get Naraku and you won't ever have to worry about that wind tunnel ever again."

Sango always knew what to say and what he was thinking and he would beat any man who tried to say that she wasn't "woman material". Hell she was the best that he could ever ask for and the only one that he would ever want. Pulling himself together a moment or two later, Miroku lifted his head and kissed the side of Sango's face. He wanted to thank for her always sticking by his side and for loving him despite everything that should have scared her away. Their life was nowhere near picture perfect, but living every single day knowing what he had made him believe that it was.

Moving his head, the monk captured Sango's lips in a needy and hot kiss. Sango's arms immediately found their way around Miroku's neck as her lips parted and her tongue came out to meet his own. Neither of them cared about anything at the moment and all they could think about was each other and their own needs. Lowering Sango onto the wooden floor, one of his hands slipped between her kimono opening and began unbinding the woman's chest wrap as the other stoked her clothed thighs.

Untying her obi, Miroku left Sango's mouth and placed hot open-mouthed kisses down her jaw. Her kimono slipped open and her legs parted to pull him closer, her long ebony hair sprawled out everywhere as she arched her eager body into his mouth, her head tossed back exposing her neck to him. Her moan was loud as he pressed his hardness into her heat, his mouth sucking on the flesh of her neck, Miroku always knew how to drive her wanton with need. Nails dug into his biceps as Sango's breath came out in heavy pants, she wouldn't' last long with his need for harmless torture.

"Miroku-" She groaned out as his lower half thrust into her, her eyes nearly rolling into the back of her head.

The said monk had just started to under his under robes as Kirara's loud roar broke through from outside. The lust they felt was immediately abandoned from the sound, they knew what it meant and it wasn't good. Sango and Miroku spent no time getting dressed and grabbing their weapons, rushing outside. It was dark outside, but the torches had been lit and the two of them could see the demons in the sky as they descended upon the village.

Hard looks of battle adorned their faces and they nodded to each other in a silent understanding. This was no coincidence, it had to be Naraku's doing. Kirara swooped down, her body covered in flames and with the signal the monk and demon exterminator attacked. The village was awake and had their warnings to stay hidden and Kaede was probably saying her prayer to protect the village. The demons attacked without hesitation and even though the three of them were severely outnumbered didn't mean that they would be defeated. They were the best of the best and failure was not an option. Never had been before and they weren't about to accept it now.

_**E/N: **henh it was a little sketchy ne? Well I can honestly say that this was the fastest chapter that I've ever written and I'm so proud of myself! YAY! I'm hoping that there will be a lemon in the next chapter between (blank) and (blank) so you'll just have to stay tuned to find out who it is! My job sucks I hate it, but it's money and YAY! I need that! I'm working on a new chapter to "Getting to know you" and "Of Games and Love" and if I finish them they will be posted tonight! _

**Fanfiction: **

**Hanako-Horigome:**_ lol thanks for reviewing!_

**XBlackRoseX909: **_Thank you, I'll try when I get the chance, but with my job and everything I haven't had much time to do anything. Good to know that someone thought that was funny, just because Sango isn't feminine doesn't mean she doesn't try to be. YAR! lol _

**Animespiral: **

**Mah187656: **_Well I hope that you are right about that! Keep reading! _

_REMEMBER FOLKS, PLEASE LEAVE REVIEWS, THEY MAKE ME HAPPY! _

_Krystal_


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer: Oh, yeah I don't own InuYasha but I do own the rights to this story save for the characters!**

_**Updated on 3/13/06 **-meh!_

_WARNIGS: Bloody gored, death, LEMONS! lol (yar!) You have been warned... _

_Pieces of paragraphs are missing and if you wish to view the full context please go to my profile for the indicated sites. I wasn't sure it if was graphic enough to get in trouble (I doubt it was) but to be safe, I edited them out. meh... Have a good read..._

_**Back to you**_

_**By Miztikal-Dragon**_

_**Chapter Twenty-Three: With love comes pain. **_

She had been having a dream about the past, about what could have been and it had left her feeling empty. However despite the sadness, she was completely surrounded in warmth. Trying to stay asleep, Kagome tried to get comfortable only to feel something restricting her movement and she suddenly was aware of the sound of breathing besides her own. Opening her eyes, Kagome could feel her blood rushing and her heart pounding faster in her body, there were arms wrapped around her. ARMS!

Doing the first thing that came to her mind, Kagome shoved the person away and went tumbling onto the floor and bumping her elbow on the side of the coffee table as well as her head before hitting the floor. InuYasha had woken with a start and immediately his claws were drawn and his eyes were searching for any enemy who had caught him asleep. Glancing down to see Kagome laying sprawled out on the ground and watching him with wide eyes, he let himself calm down and climb off the furniture to help Kagome to her feet.

"God," Kagome groaned getting to her feet with the help of the half demon watching her. "What the fuck do you think you're doing here?"

Her fingers ran unconsciously through her hair and she hissed at the tenderness on her forehead, it would surely bruise. The hanyou looked lost for words and she wanted to run her fingers down her face in irritation. He would be the death of her and she wasn't sure whether or not she wanted to strangle InuYasha or cut of his hands and feed them to the stray cats in the alley down the street.

"Well I was sleeping until you decided to attack me," he retorted dryly. "What did you think I was doing?"

Throwing her hands in the air, Kagome spun on her heels and walked away from the hanyou huffing agitatedly. She couldn't stand being around him and quickly ran up her stairs towards her room, she didn't have to be around him if she didn't want to. And at the moment she didn't want to be anywhere near anybody with amber eyes, silver hair, and dog ears. Slamming the door shut as she entered her room, Kagome turned on the light and picked up a pillow only to throw it at the wall.

"I would greatly appreciate it if you left InuYasha," she said bluntly pointing to the closed door.

"Why?" His eyebrows were raised curiously, "I didn't do anything this time."

"I want to get dressed so I can sleep," it was like talking to a four year old. "So geddout!".

"No," he was teasing her and she knew it. "I don't have to, you can't make me!"

"Can you be anymore annoying?" She growled closing her eyes and rubbing her temples.

"I meant what I said to you earlier Kagome," InuYasha had moved right in front of her and caught her off guard. "I do want you to be by my side. I mean I tried staying angry at you, but seeing you asleep, it was difficult and I dunno what was going through my mind. I know that I don't say the right things, but you have to understand that it doesn't mean that I don't care because I do. I don't want to let you out of my sight ever again."

Without giving any type of warning, Inuyasha pulled Kagome into his arms and captured her lips in a demanding kiss. There were so many emotions running around in his mind, but he only wanted to do what felt right, he wanted Kagome. Her fingers dug into the material of his haori and he pressed his mouth harder against hers, sweeping his tongue across her lips before they parted and he was allowed to sample everything that she had to offer him.

It was too much for her and Kagome wanted to pull away from the hanyou's kiss, but she couldn't, her body wouldn't respond to her mind's orders. He felt perfect against her and she could feel this unbearable need growing in her heart. No matter how many times she tried convincing herself that her love for InuYasha was purely adolescent it never seemed to work for long. It was as if fate liked laughing at her and proving how wrong she always seemed to be. Kagome may have not wanted to believe it, but she was madly in love with the hanyou, desperately in love and she had always been.

Feeling InuYasha walking forwards, Kagome stepped back until her knees hit something and she fell back, the hanyou going with her. His lips pulled away from her own and traveled down her neck and she couldn't help but groan as her arms snaked tighter around his form. She had never felt this way before and she couldn't stop, she just couldn't unless she wanted to ruin it. His clawed hands ran across her body and chills ran up her spine.

There had been one time before when she had been so close to InuYasha and thinking about it brought tears to her eyes. The soft touch on her face brought her eyes to his and she couldn't help but smile and want to cry all the more. She had been in love with him, so deeply in love yet she was still afraid. Afraid that it was all one huge dream, that she would wake up and she'd be seventeen and miserable all over again.

"Don't cry Kagome," InuYasha said gently wiping away her tears with the pads of his thumbs. "I'm scared too, but it's okay."

What he said was something that she hadn't heard in a long time, but it brought joy to her heart none the less. Reaching up to him, Kagome pulled him to her. Their lips met in a soft kiss as InuYasha laid his body over hers, it was perfect. Time seemed to stop as the heat grew, it was as if fate was finally giving them a break from the pain that had always been there. Clothes were haphazardly pulled off and tossed onto the ground, there was a need left thriving for lifetime and now it was ready to explode.

Kagome's moans were loud as InuYasha touched her in ways she couldn't even imagine. Something in her was dying and yet it was something had been dragging her down for so long. It was about time that it was leaving too, because her heartache came in so many different forms, but it was all for the hanyou in front of her.

She wasn't a first timer and despite the fuzzy recollection, Kagome knew. However, in her mind it was and nothing could stop her from being with InuYasha now, she wouldn't let it.

Fear had began holding them apart for so long and now after everything they were allowed to become one. When their ends came and climaxes were reached, the two of them cried out the others name before slumping into a pile of exhaustion. InuYasha laid next to Kagome and held her close, her head on his chest and his head on hers. Kissing the top of oily black hair, InuYasha let his claws trace invisible lines across pale skin.

Never before in his live could he remember a time where he had felt as good as he did currently. He hoped that his "relationship" with Kagome would grow and surpass what it had been in the past. There were a lot of things that he secretly prayed for that was almost impossible, but time would tell what destiny had in store for the two of them. InuYasha didn't know if he could repeat what happened before, he would literally die if Kagome tried to leave again.

He could recall his memories almost completely now, however some details were still a little unclear. For him he knew that there was no room for any mess ups, if he wanted to keep Kagome he would have to put everything on the line, nothing could be safe. Staring up at the ceiling, InuYasha pulled Kagome as close as he could, something in him told him that if he didn't, she would suddenly be gone and he'd be alone again.

Alone, that's what he had been for most of his life, even when he was surrounded by friends the loneliness always seemed to seep in one way or another. But during the short time he had come to love Kagome, his heart was filled over flowing at the tope. She completed him and now with her in his arms she did also. No regrets, it was a saying that he wanted to live out the rest of his life abiding by, and if allowed to he would with a smile on his face.

"I love you Kagome," he whispered softly listening to her even and deep breathing.

Right now his life was perfect and it was only that way because Kagome was at his side. It had taken ten and some odd years, but they would have the life that he dreamed they would together. Closing his eyes, he smiled, things finally looked like they were getting on track.

_**oOo **_

Demons came out of nowhere and despite Sango's Hiraikotsu flying around and Miroku's sutras, they kept coming. A few village men risked their lives helping out, but they only stayed close to their own homes protecting their family. Kaede's purifying shield had already gone up minutes ago, however, it didn't look as though it was helping much. Some demons swooped down, hitting huts and causing fires to erupt on some roof tops. Screams of fear rang in Sango's and Miroku's ears, but they were too overwhelmed with the number of demons coming, they were helpless to do anything but continue fighting where they stood.

The loud roar of Kirara made Sango spin around only for her eyes to widen in horror. Her hut was on fire and surrounded by attacking demons. The screams coming from inside were of pain, Minoru, Seiko, Ayumi! Unsheathing her katana, Sango sliced through the demons in her path trying to get to her home. Miroku was busy sucking demons by the hundreds into his wind tunnel, the sweat dancing across his brow showing that the monk had in deed sucked up enough poison to kill a small army.

An enormous demon smashed into the hut as it battled with a severely wounded Kirara, it's massive jaws digging into the yellow fur and painting it red as skin and muscle was torn easily from bone. The neko youkai held on though and soon enough the enormous demon fell, its death most certain. Blood was everywhere and Kirara was barely able to move a few unsteady steps before ambushed, by a cunning centipede demon. Sango attacked the beast, but it was too late, Kirara laid twitching in death, a gaping hole in her torso where bone, flesh and vital organs had once been.

Sango screamed loudly like a madwoman, and attacked every demon she could until they vanished into the night. Tears streamed down her face as she burst into her flaming home. She covered her mouth with her hands as she frantically searched for her children, her heart was pounding wildly in her chest and the urge to vomit was overwhelming as her eyes stared into the elderly priestess' still form.

Her head was missing but the blood drenched the wooden floor. They all were dead, and Sango could see them from inside their small room. Minoru was crouched over his sisters, a pillar heavy and large draped across his body. Fire surrounded them, catching clothing and Sango could only scream in pain, her family, they were all dead! The past was repeating itself and this time she would not allow herself to be left all alone to bare the pain.

Pulling out the dagger she hid on her calf, Sango brushed the tears from her face, it was all over. There was nothing left for her to live for and she would rejoin her family fallen both old and the one she and Miroku had created together. Falling to her knees, Sango rose the dagger and put it against her breast, voices called her name and she ignored them, voices of the dead, she could hear them already.

A blow to the head knocked her unconscious and the dagger fell forgotten to the bloody floor as Sango slumped over. Everybody had suffered tonight in someway, nobody in the village had been left unscathed, but the ones who lost the most were so close to losing themselves. The fire was bright and burned long into the night, it was the night of death, a signal of more pain and heartache that was to come.

**E/N: **_Hey there! You probably don't really like me too much anymore, but that's A okay! I dunno when the next chapter will be out, but it will once I finish writting it! Sadly to say there is only like 2-3 chapters left for this story! _

_LOYAL REVIEWERS! lol _

**Amaya Kokoro Ai Yume: **_thank you for reviewing! it's good to know you like it! _

**XBlackRoseX909:** _I can't help with the shortness because I only write a few lined pages (3 six front and back) but thank you for the compliment. Work is okay, it's just that I don't have any time to write anymore (sobs)_

**Hanako Horigome:** _thanks!_

That's all folks! Please leave reivews if you liked/hated this chapter... They make me smile! w00t!

-Krystal-


	24. Chapter 24

_**Disclaimer: Nope, don't own nothing, well I own stuff, just not this stuff okay? **_

_Sorry for such the gap between updates. I had an accident on April 24th and for a while we thought I cracked the back of my skull... And after that I've had a really nasty writer's block with eveything.. I'm so sorry! _

_**Back To You**_

_**Miztikal-Dragon**_

_**Chapter Twenty-Four: A New Leaf**_

Villagers mourned silently for the souls who had been lost over the night, it looked like a plague had rampaged through the small village. Neighbors clutched each other, trying to find the inner strength that had all about disintegrated. The ones that were still alive were lost for words, it would be possible to rebuild everything that was damaged, but it would never be the same again. Clouds were dark and the wind was blowing the leaves off of trees, the weather befitted the mood of the destroyed area. It smelled like rain and within the next hour of two there was no doubt of the heavens opening up and crying for those who no longer could.

Sango stood at the top of the shrine that was now in ruins. Blood of demons and her fallen comrades were stained forever into her kimono, her hands were stained as well and whenever she closed her eyes she could see them. The pain in her heart was excruciating and no matter what it would never leave. No longer could she find herself able to grasp any understanding of fate and how the gods worked, they were too cruel to even try to begin understanding. Miroku had been the one who dragged her from the burning hut, he had saved her from the death she wanted, but he had also opened more hurt then the demon exterminator could take as a human and as a woman.

Kaede was dead, her children as well and when she regained consciousness to see the weary-eyed village women, she knew that they had lost the battle. At first she cried hysterically, her painful screams loud and pounded into the memories of every villagers that had survived. That night Sango's entire life had become frozen in time, it stood still before crumbling like clumped dirt. With the death of the villages' eldest and only priestess and Sango incapacitated, the poison in Miroku's veins had been left unpurified and merely minutes before she woke from the darkness, the monk slipped into it. Never once did one person have to have the weight of so much grief on their chest.

No one had wanted to give the demon exterminator the devastating news, but she was quick to figure it out and when she realized that once again the ones she cared about the most had been taken from her, she snapped. The villagers knew better than to approach her unless they wanted to risk injury, so she was left to her solitude until the hanyou and Kagome's return. Naraku had taken away her family once again, and deep down it was more than likely the evil half demon was behind the horde of demons. He had somehow been able to rob her of her happiness that she struggled for so long to attain, he took everything important away from her and she couldn't escape it.

_'Kohaku,' _the tears may not have been falling, but on the inside they were like a never ending waterfall. _'Why me? Miroku, how could you do this to me? I'm not strong enough to do this on my own. Why? WHY?' _

The fires had been extinguished and the small village w3as currently trying to rebuild what they lost, to turn a new leaf, but Sango wanted no part in it. In her heart she could only feel the hatred and pain that she'd been left with. Over a night's time the demon exterminator had gone from loving wife and mother, to an empty shell hell bent on revenge. She would never be able to go back to who she was, Sango had become a trapped soul and almost a lost soul.

Glancing down at the working villagers, she almost sighed. Morning had come a few hours before and it was about time for the ceremony to begin. Picking up her enormous boomerang and slinging it over her shoulder, Sango headed down the shrine's stairs. No matter how much she wanted to go find the half demon who killed her family, she had other more important things to attend to at the moment. Neighbors of her gave sympathetic looks to her, the unshed tears in the women's eyes, their children clutching their clothing and dirt covering their small faces. There was so many sad eyes watching her every move and Sango stiffened her body, her back straight and her head up. She didn't want to give in to her feelings, she had been a warrior, a commander at one point, and this time she didn't want to share her weakness with anyone. It was hers alone to carry, hers only.

Stopping at the front, Sango swallowed the lump in her throat, she didn't want to believe that this was actually happening, after everything that happened ten years just wasn't enough for her. The smell of wood was strong and for a moment she imagined that she was traveling in the forest again, hunting with him by her side, a young Seiko strapped to her back and Minoru holding her hand trying to pretend that he was like his father. It was too hard for her not to just walk away, to realize that she'd be alone for the rest of her life. The demon exterminator had nothing left.

Carefully, Sango picked up Miroku's staff and listening to its jingle she bit down on her lower lip. She wouldn't ever let it go. The silence was deafening, but after placing a few items on the corpse of her husband, Sango took a few deep breaths, this would be the last time she would be able to see his face, it would be the last anything with him. Gently she touched his pale face, her tired fingers brushing against his cheek and lips, it almost looked like he was sleeping, but Sango knew the harsh truth that he wasn't.

Sango said a small prayer under her breath before closing her eyes and stepping away from him. Her hand shot out and a lit torch was placed it in. She wouldn't allow any of them to go near him, she wanted to be the one to send her family to the after life, it had to be her or no one. Placing the torch on the wood, Sango let go of everything she once believed it, love, hope, and any happiness that was possible. A large part of her died as Miroku and what was left of their children and Kirara burned into ashes. It was something that would only hold her back in her new journey, she wouldn't be staying in the village anymore, she would leave in search of the beast that stole her life away. She would go and find Naraku.

**_oOo_**

InuYasha was the first to wake, his amber eyes slowly opening and a small smile playing on his face. His body was enveloped in warmth and the weight on his chest told him that the night he had shared with Kagome was no dream. Debating against the though of going back to sleep, the hanyou ran his clawed hand up and down Kagome's naked shoulder. Things would be different this time, he would make sure of it and then happiness was only a turn away, it could be reached.

A soft groan made his ears twitch and glancing down at a pile of messy black hair, he felt his heart quicken. She was absolutely beautiful and he never wanted to let her go. This picture was what he wanted to wake up to every morning for the rest of his life and he would give anything to attain it. Gooseflesh appeared all over his body as Kagome's hand ran across his chest and he shut his eyes trying to resist the overwhelming need to moan. She had such an affect on him and he secretly wondered if this was because of him being in love with her.

"Morning sunshine," he whispered into her hair, his clawed hands wrapping around her waist and pulling her close.

"I hate morning people," she grumbled thickly hiding her face in his chest and struggling to go back to sleep. "I think they should be tied and gagged, maybe even shot."

Ignoring her comment, InuYasha kissed the top of Kagome's head before sitting up. It was more than obvious that he didn't want to, but running his clawed fingers through his own matted hair, he tiredly rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Kagome groaned loudly, rolling over and burying her face into her pillows, she wasn't ready to get up yet, though maybe in a couple of hours when the sun rose. She felt him leave the bed and was tempted to see what he was doing, however, the yawn that escaped her throat reminded her how tired she was still so she let herself drift off to sleep.

The hanyou wasted no time climbing out of the comforts of Kagome's bed locating where his pants were thrown and pulling them over his bare buttocks. Clothes were everywhere and it made him smirk before turning to gaze at the half sleeping girl on the bed. A sheet covered only half of her body and her hair was sprawled out all around her, to him Kagome was the epitome of beauty. Her skin was pale and licking his dry lips, InuYasha finished tying his pants before going back to where Kagome slept.

Climbing into the bed as softly as he could so not to be noticed, InuYasha towered over the sleeping Kagome, a mischievous smirk on his face. His hair fell over his shoulders and silver mixed with ebony as his clawed hand slowly traveled up warm flesh. The girl underneath him growled and InuYasha chuckled, his hand touching her breast as his lips nibbled on Kagome's shoulder. She wouldn't be able to go back to sleep and he easily rolled Kagome onto her back and captured her mouth in a heated kiss.

His body practically hovered over Kagome's naked body, the only thing holing him up were his knees and the hands that held down Kagome's wrists. He couldn't allow himself to be captured by passion, not when there still was a lot more left to be done. However he was now fighting a losing battle as her tongue parted his lips and roamed his mouth freely. Oh god it was so tempting to get lost inside her and he could feel her heart pounding in her chest along with his in his own chest, it was a feeling that he'd never get tired of.

"Kagome," he moaned against her mouth. "We gotta go back."

Her reply was arching her hips against his and the hanyou succumbed to the beauty underneath him. He shouldn't have even tried and now he was 'paying the price'. Clawed hands roamed, touching and teasing every piece of flesh within reach, the journey back through the well would have to wait till later.

**_oOo_**

It had been a long time since she had been allowed to resurface and she eagerly took whatever was given in order to prepare. Naraku was still powerful, however it was her body and the evil hanyou had his limits also. For a few hours every night she would be allowed to reign free without confinements as Naraku slept deep within the back of her mind. Although the form which he decided to take was her new body, she would never appear as a woman again, he had made sure of it.

He deemed it as he punishment, though she didn't need to have a woman's body in order to control her powers, those came from her soul, not her pathetic excuse for a body. She searched for anything that would help, but carefully, there was always something watching and often she found herself acting like the evil hanyou so no eyebrows would be raised about her (or his) behavior. It was frustrating beyond belief, yet it was her fault why she was in her current situation. All actions have consequences and she was not exempt from the rule, neither was Naraku though.

All she had to do was cast a few spells and pray to the gods she once believed didn't exist and hope for a miracle. She was certain that Naraku wouldn't notice for a while, however she hoped that the Inu-hanyou and his Kikyo look-a-like would come to drag Naraku back to the underworld sooner than later. Time was of the essence and even the good had limits with patience.

_'Just hold on a little longer please,' _Tsubaki called out into the mirror. _'They'll come and things will be set right. He'll pay, I know he will.' _

Darkness swirled around her, puling her away and Tsubaki cried out as the pain filled her. Somehow it was always different, Naraku was a beast of torture and she cursed the day she agreed to let him revive her. Trying as hard as she could to keep control of her body, Tsubaki locked away all of her plans so Naraku couldn't eavesdrop through her progress. She may have been weak, but she had the will power to get rid of the evil hanyou and no power could destroy will power.

**E/N:** O-M-G How could I? I know that most of you probably hate me, and that's okay, I hate me sometimes too. I cried writing the beginning of this chapter and yeah I really hate myself but it had to be done.

_**Fanfiction **_

**XBlackRoseX909: **_Yeah it is isn't it? No problem, and thanks for sticking with the story even though you're not happy with what's going on! You're a real tropper! _**Hanako Horigome: **_This story is one my angstiest stories I believe but thanks! I will _**Rapture-Taylore: **_ I hope that it's original, because it goes with the first story "Through the well" but meh! Thank you!_** Pirate Tom/Rebecca: **_Lots of reviews from you! w00t! I'm sorry that you are tired of the angst, and I laugh sheepishly because I know that there's so much in this story. It's probably why not many people are willing to read it! ALTHOUGH it won't always be so angsty, the endings are coming in the next two chapters, so you decide! (yes I did say endings...)_

**Mediaminer/ Animespiral /Adultfanfiction**

**Addicted2pjs:**_ Thankyou! lol You have a nice day also! _**Amaya Kokoro Ai Yume:**_ yes, I know evil, but it was good! _**Kagomi:**_ No problemo! Thank you for reading! Yes! You do get one for them! It was long waited for, BUT YES THEY GET MONKEY LOVING TOOOOO! lol (sorry I'm really tired) back at ya'!_

_Working on the next chapter as soon as possible! Please look at my profile on Fanfiction (net) for the summary plots of new stories I wish to start over the summer. (I won't discontinue anything I'm working on now FYI) Vote for your two top favs and the winners will be the stories that I start once I graduate!_

_**-Krystal-**_


	25. Chapter 25

_**Disclaimer:** No, I don't own them, never will, but a girl can dream. _

**Warnings: **Gore, possible spelling/grammar mistakes... I've been sitting here crying as I was writing it! YAY I'm back!

Back to you

By Miztikal-Dragon

**Chapter Twenty-Five: Goodbye to love, my love (part one of two)**

The stench of death was apparent as the light blue warmth left the two of them standing flush against each other in the old bone eater's well. His ears twitched and his nose scrunched up with distaste, he could smell smoke which also meant that there was a fire, or the remnants of one. Pulling Kagome into his arms, InuYasha easily jumped out of the darkness of the well, his bare feet meeting with the dry grass. It was already almost midday yet the clouds cluttered together drowning out all the sunlight for miles.

Air was thick and the two of them wasted no time heading towards the village where their friends were. They had to come together to make up a plan that would work with defeating Naraku, something that they knew was possible, but they had to try. Just showing up and fighting didn't seem like a great strategy plan and Kagome was not too keen on seeing anymore heartache, or experiencing it for that matter.

The ground crunched under their feet as they walked, their hands clasped together and their shoulders brushing. InuYasha had a bad feeling swelling in the pit of his stomach and it made him nervous. Smoke billowed into the sky from inside the village, some of the villager's homes caved in, others completely demolished and it had the hanyou's nerves standing on end. No one came to greet them, no smiles, only devastation. Bodies of both villagers and demons littered the ground, blood soaking into the dirt and lifeless innocent eyes staring at them with an empty gaze.

His skin crawled as amber eyes gazed around for any sight of life, the stench of blood was everywhere, thick in the air that he could barely breathe let alone concentrate on one things. Kagome's body pressed against his as they made their way through the village to where they could now see the large fire blazing, the remaining villagers circling around it their eyes closed and silent words slipping from their lips.

Prayers, they were praying, for the lost souls, their fallen neighbors, and the priestess and monk lost in the battle. A lone figure stood at the front, long tendrils of onyx blowing into the wind created by the fire, a sword in one hand, and Miroku's staff in the other. It was a somber feeling churning in their hearts and as InuYasha and Kagome stepped closer, the woman turned around and they could barely contain the shock from escaping from their faces.

Her face was dirty the only evidence of tears had been the tracks that cleaned the dirt and blood from her cheeks. Clothing was torn and stained with blood and something else, her olive complexion now a yellow-white, and brown eyes that held such wisdom had frozen over, filled now only with hate and suffering. Sango was a woman who was on a one way path to deliver revenge.

Hackles rose as the demon slayer turned on her heels, her brows scrunching up into a look of pure hate, the point of her sword dragging on the ground as she came closer. Kagome's nails dug into InuYasha's sleeve but it was left unnoticed as Sango brushed past the hanyou and girl from another time, things had to be done and it was obvious that Sango wasn't about to stick around and explain.

Hiraikostu was off to the side broken into four or five pieces so she wouldn't be able to use it, however she didn't let it deter her from her new found responsibility of killing the hanyou bastard who had stolen her life away from her once again. She walked away from her friends, from the village where she had raised her family and felt something a kin to love flourish throughout the years, she was leaving it all behind because she had nothing left to give, nothing left to live for. It had all been ripped from her grasp like it was nothing and she wasn't even given the chance to fight for it.

"Sango!" Kagome called to the demon slayer as she sprinted to catch up to her friend. "Sango wait!"

Her calls were left on deaf ears, the demon slayer wasn't going to wait, she wasn't going to stop so Kagome could catch up. Why should she? Wasn't it all Kagome's fault in the first place? She had been the one to come through the well and cause a rift between everyone, tugging at their heartstrings and causing so much pain and suffering only to throw all the happiness away by leaving because of her selfishness. Leaving and forcing Sango and Miroku to pick up the pieces and then to have Kagome come back and stir up even more trouble, and indirectly killing even more people.

How many people would have to die before Kagome had had enough? Was Shippo not enough, or Kouga and Ayame? What about Sango's family? Why did they all have to die because of Kagome, what was so special about her that everyone else around her had to suffer the ultimate pain? Anger boiled in her heart, soaked into her body and exploded in her veins, it was all Kagome's fault why her family died.

"Sango!" Kagome was still calling to her, trying to reach her, but she didn't want to be reached.

She wanted to be left to her own responsibilities, to her own duties that she would fulfill and then she would join Miroku. Join him and the rest of her family and then happiness would be a thing of the future in hell. She would find happiness and be at piece. The demon slayer would kill Naraku, she would kill anyone that got in her way and then when she was covered from head to toe in blood in the end, she would turn around and kill herself. Yes, it was the perfect plan and a befitting ending to the demon slayer clan. It would be a story told for generations, a tragic hero caught in a battle bigger than life itself.

The forest trees were feet away from her when a hand reached out and grabbed her shoulder, pulling her back. Dark brown eyes narrowed as she was swung around and facing the girl who Sango blamed for everything, she snapped. Unsuspecting eyes that had softened went wide and a pale mouth opened in a big "O". A whimper of pain escaped Kagome's lips as her fingers touched the hands of her friend which now held the hilt of her sword against her abdomen. Excruitating pain filled the priestess as the tears slipped from her eyes as they gazed between the blade that cut through her and the look of pure hatred flowing from Sango.

"S-Sango?" Confusion laced her voice and the demon slayer only growled as she pushed Kagome off her blade and watched as the priestess crumbled to the ground, her fingers desperately trying to stop the blood from seeping out of her body.

"It's your fault why Miroku's dead!" Sango growled wiping the blood onto her kimono. "None of this would have happened if you hadn't showed up, you stole everything from me and I won't forgive you Kagome."

The smell of her blood had InuYasha's head snapping so fast towards the woods that he felt his own blood run cold. His instincts told him to run and that's exactly what he did. He ran as fast as his legs could carry him in the direction that Sango and Kagome had left in, his heart beating erratically in his chest, his mind screaming and his soul crying for something he couldn't explain.

"Kagome!" He cried out as his amber eyes surveyed the area around him, he couldn't see her and he was becoming frantic.

It took him a minute to spot her and when he did his entire body faltered. Sango's backside faded into the trees, the bright red color of blood dripping down the sword as it was once again dragged against the ground. Kagome lay on a heap on the ground, blood pooling around her body and growing bigger by the moment. He could smell the tears and throwing himself to the ground next to her, InuYasha's hands grabbed the priestess, moving away her hands in order to look at the wound the demon slayer no doubted inflicted. Tears of frustration stung at the sides of his eyes as his tanned flesh became stained with Kagome's blood.

A sob wrenched itself from his throat as he stared into Kagome's tear-shinning eyes, her once rosy cheeks now deathly pale. He couldn't save her and his whole body trembled as he pulled her into his arms rocking her and softly begging her not to leave him.

"Please Kagome, not like this." He told her running his bloodied fingers through her hair. "Don't leave me oh god, please I'm not ready for you to go yet, please - just please not yet."

He could feel her own body shaking against his, her tears soaking into his haori, her arms wrapping around his back and weakly trying to hold him as he was doing her. It was breaking his heart, he had spent so long trying to be with her, to show her the love that he felt in his heart, and now it was too late. Wasn't he allowed to be happy? Why did Kagome have to leave him all alone like this, why couldn't fate just give him more than just a fleeting view of love?

"I'm sorry," He could barely hear her whispering to him and reluctantly InuYasha pulled away and looked at her face, her lips trembling as the blood dribbled down from the corner of her mouth. "I-I'm sorry InuYasha-"

"It's okay," quivering lips met in reassurance as he brushed the stray hair away from her face, red staining her forehead as he did so. "It's not your fault, none of this is your fault."

Her breath came out in labored pants, fresh tears streaming down her face as one of her shaking hands grabbed onto the front of his haori where his heart rested inside his chest. She understood what was going to happen, it was written all over her face and when she tried to laugh it came out as a choked sob. Kagome didn't want to go like this, it wasn't supposed to end this way. Whatever happened to happy endings and why couldn't she have a life with InuYasha if nothing else? Why did it always had to end up with her leaving him behind, it wasn't fair.

Their lips met once again before InuYasha held Kagome as close to his heart as he could. They would pay for this, they all would and he would make sure of it. He was going to tear Naraku and Tsubaki to pieces and this time make sure that there would never be a way that they could ever come back. And then, then he'd go after Sango if she was still alive, he would run her through with his claws because she took Kagome away from him. He would kill them all or die in the process, however they would all go down with him, he would make sure of it.

"All I wanted to do was love you."

More than one life ended that day, the flames of life that were extinguished and InuYasha screamed out as loud as he could, his guttural voice carried away by the wind as Kagome's eyes closed for the very last time. He sat there for what seemed like forever, staring down at her white face, his calloused fingers brushing against the cooled flesh of her cheek. Even in death she was beautiful, his Kagome, and biting down on his lower lip he pulled her hands to her stomach covering the wound where the blood continued to leave.

"That's all I wanted too." He choked out as he slowly rose to his feet. He would come back for her once Naraku was dead, he wouldn't abandon her and then they could be together. He wouldn't have it any other way.

Silver hair fluttered in the air as he ran away from his lover's body, there were things that still had to be done, half demons and demon slayers who had a date with his claws. Tetsussaiga pulsed at his side however he ignored it, he wouldn't use the blade unless it was a necessity, and even then he wanted to feel the life of his enemies with his own fingertips.

**_E/N:_** No this is not where I'm ending it. This is the first part of two of the first ending that I have planned. Writer's block sucks, college and work suck even more. Sorry for the long time with no updates! I'll be working on this story, "Anything for love", and "Getting to Know you" since I have a four day weekend. (I didn't go to my classes today) THANKS! I'll post more as soon as I can. I've been writing fanfics for an online comice called "Pandect" it's really awesome I suggest that you go check it out! http (colon) / pandect (dot) comicgenesis (dot) com

Adult fanfiction, Fanfiction, and Mediaminer (animespiral's gone again)

**Inu/Bastard-lover:** lol everything in this story has a purpose, and meh I thought it'd be you know pretty awesome to have some suspsense and what not.. memory loss can be explained by the ring, and being sealed by an evil arrow for 10 years. kyah! **XBlackRoseX909:** Yeah I cry mucho mucho, but inuXkag XXX is always good! Thank you! **Cara:** oh wow, yes! I have another follower (cackles) I'm really glad that you've enjoyed both "through the well" and this story. It makes me giggle like crazy! **Inuyashalover93311:** Thanks! **Hitokiri Yukira: **As funny as that would be, I can't insert you into the story. Miroku had to die or else I couldn't have writen this chapter and the next one. It something that I don't like doing but had to... I cry with you! **Aozora-Tennyo:** Thank you, I don't know what I'd do if that happened to me either. **Orlando Lover: **Easily, write it down and post it (laughs) Glad that you like it! thanks for reviewing!

Thanks for all the reviews! I'll get more out asap!

-Krystal-


	26. Chapter 26

****

Disclaimer: No, I don't own them, never will, but a girl can dream.

**Warnings: **Gore, Angst, Character Death!

No, I don't own them, never will, but a girl can dream. 

_I'm totally back now I promise! I'm going to be spending my entire weekend writing and hopefully things will turn out well. This chapter is far by one of the longest and I'm sad to see this story come to an end! Life took me by surprise and now I'm 18, and in College, it's scary. lol wish I could go back to highschool... Had an internship, and in December I'll be taking a trip to Washington with my friend, I'm totally stoked! w00t! _

**Back to you**

By Miztikal-Dragon

Chapter Twenty-Six: Goodbye to love, my love (part two of two)

Hands trembled as they worked quickly; she could feel the suffocating aura's heading in her direction and she pleaded that there would be enough time to finish what had been started. Oil candles littered the ground, their flickering bluish-purple flames dancing a hypnotic dance as her eyes darted frantically searching for the correct herbs laying near her bent knees.

Her breathing was rapid as the sounds of grinding rocks fluttered into her ears, the green, yellow, and brown herbs crumbling and forming a blue paste inside the medium sized bowl. The toxic fumes made her light headed; however, she couldn't go outside to let her lungs fill with the crisp, clean air, time was flying by and soon there would be none left for her and she had to be prepared.

A few blood-colored berries rolled away from her shaking hands as she reached for them and Tsubaki cursed under her breath as she added them to the bowl and continued to concentrate on following the recipe recorded in the old tattered scroll laying pinned open a few inches away from where she was kneeling. The air was thick, thicker than normal and the nervous sweat gathered at her brow as she began to whisper the indicated words, being sure not to mess up on the translation and ruin the ceremony that would set her free.

The flickering flames turned black quicker than she expected and within an instant the wicks disappeared, the black flames spreading, eating away the oil and encircling her, growing in height and trapping her in a small circumference. Her blood was racing, her eyes dancing as her chanting grew slightly louder. It was working and within a few minutes the gates of hell would open up in front of her and she hopefully would be able to gather the rest of her strength and throw her body into the hell flames, thus ending her and Naraku's existence in one fatal swoop.

That was her hope, her longing as she closed her eyes in concentration, the trembling of her hands increasing as she clasped them together in prayer. He was hiding somewhere deep inside her, she could feel him as his anger licked at the strands of her hair, burning them and causing the tips to curl and melt together. The heat was growing hotter, sweltering, the tiny blisters bubbling on her skin and a few exploding, the hot puss burning her pale skin like acid. She wanted to scream in pain, the oozing puss creating more of the blisters, small doses of miasma leaving them and drifting into the thick air, enticing the black flames growing closer to her form.

Just a little longer, she pleaded to no one in general knowing that he could hear her as the blisters grew larger in width, the smell of burnt hair and flesh assaulting her nostrils as she chanted louder.

The worn bamboo screen hanging in front of the hut door fluttered with an ominous breeze and she felt the air being stolen from her lungs as the aura suddenly disappeared from her radar. They were close, she knew they were; Naraku was laughing at her, but she couldn't help but feel like a rabbit caught in a hole, a fire blazing on one side, the barking of a mutt on the other. Large glistening white jaws dripping with saliva, chomping down on thin air waiting to taste fur, blood, and bone; she was trapped like a rat.

She was more than positive that she was nearly screaming the words to the ceremony now, her voice cracking as she opened her eyes to allow them to dart around suspiciously. It had become quiet, not even the faint sounds besides her heavy panting could be heard. The evil priestess was waiting in the calm of the storm, waiting for something to happen and knowing that anything could happen, made her more frantic to complete the ceremony. She just had to or else she would never get another chance to set things right, she wouldn't have another chance to break free and get away from the half-demon who had stolen her body and used her as a pawn in his malicious plans all from the very beginning.

The sounds of gravel crunching underneath either feet or shoes grabbed her attention and she nearly cried out as the black flames flashed green, a sickly yellow line expanding, like a pair of doors being opened from the inside. Words flew from her mouth as her eyes widened, a bloodied-gangly arm reaching out of the flames; the brown skin hanging off like cloth, the red muscles twitching and moving as though it was alive.

Her heart couldn't have been pounding any faster in her chest as it reached out to her and Tsubaki yearned to reach out her own hand and allow it to drag her into it's layer; however, if she discontinued her ceremony, interrupting it in any way, the hand and the flames would disappear like a reflection in a disturbed lake. Dark glistening blue eyes gazed hungrily at her as a darkened shape pulled itself through the green flames. They were filled with torture, hunger, greed, and many other things that she couldn't recognize, but once had been expressions that she had seen before.

Long hair of midnight rolled out and slithered like snakes towards her, slithering and sliding closer and touching her wrists with the coolest touch she had ever felt. Those deep cerulean orbs pulsed and her voice faltered as her body began shaking with vigor. The locks of hair pulling her seizuring body towards the flames, wrapping tighter and she could only scream as the fire nipped at her feet, flames of red and purple.

Her mouth opened wider and her head lolled back, her muscles beginning to spasm as the smell of gun powder became overpowering. Loud thumps ran across the ceiling of the hut and her heart stopped as she was enveloped into a bright light.

The leaves fell from the tall trees and surrounded Sango, her long tendrils of black hair falling around her dirty and pale face; her brown eyes dull and empty as she blindly walked through the forest.

There were many things running havoc in her mind, the biggest one being where would she be able to find Naraku? Would he be waiting for her and when she came to him would he be able to finish her off like yesterday's waste or would it be a struggle between two beings fighting for life and death and even more that could not be explained?

The soft alien sound of metal being dragged against the solid ground was like a small melody implanted in her brain; almost a forgetful sound, yet lingering like the pain from a simple scratch or knick. The demon slayer's body felt like a ton of bricks, the hand which barely carried her katana a kin to dragging a corpse for miles. She was tired, dead tired of more than just the knowledge of never being able to see her children's smiles, or hear Miroku's gentle teasing laughter.

There so much death, so much blood on her hands and the stains, she knew, would never be washed away. She could get no comfort in knowing that she had helped kill everything she once believed in, that she killed the very person who had given her a way to live in happiness. Guilt gnawed at her, the pinprick of realization that she was at fault for InuYasha's upcoming suffering and that it could have been prevented.

Although, that didn't matter anymore; it was a game of running in circles. Naraku got rid of what she cared about the most, and in return she took away the only happiness that InuYasha had ever been allowed and soon it would be his turn to decide who suffered next. It was just how life went and in the end it only mattered who was the strongest and who could and would survive. There would always be one survivor since that's always how the games worked, only one victor to the spoils of absolutely nothing desirable, what a waste of life playing a game that was meant to destroy.

The tall grass ended suddenly and downcast brown eyes darted up as gooseflesh covered her numb flesh forcing her back into reality. Clouds drifted together, combining into dark whites and black making a cloak of gray surround the once blue sky. Sango's fingers tingled catching the almost invisible hut sitting merely yards away from where she stood. The air around her had become thicker making it almost hard to breathe.

Muscles tensed, twitched and her eyes narrowed as the youki leaked from the hut like sweat from pores. Pulling the mask from its place on her hip, Sango strapped it around her face and searched her pockets for anything that would help her. She could feel Naraku's aura all around her, billowing through her hair, trying to suffocate her and it only made the anger race back to her chest like a flame flying across dry hay. Five small orbs rolled into her hand from inside the small pocket on her side; five small black balls with coarse textures and a slick feel and a grin inched itself to her lips.

They were the explosives she had confiscated from Minoru a few days earlier, and why they hadn't gone off while she was in the burning hut that was her home alluded her. Growling to keep away the tears of pain, Sango turned them into hate as she stalked towards the hut, allowing her demon exterminating instincts to kick in and take control. She couldn't feel the hurt, see it or taste is as she ran closer, her arms pumping at her sides as she turned sharply and threw herself onto the hut; her fists grabbing the middle and straining from the weight as she efficiently pulled herself onto the rather large structure.

Carefully she unrolled the gunpowder she hid in a pouch and dumped a small portion by each cleverly placed explosive. Her blood was racing and she was almost giddy as she stood up tall, surveying her accomplishment as she listened to the feminine chanting that was going on inside the hut underneath where Sango stood. It was Tsubaki, she realized and a nasty taste filled her mouth as the sounds of hissing and growling came from inside. Whatever the evil priestess was doing was none of Sango's business; however, if it was to harm anyone else, the evil woman wouldn't be able to complete it, Sango would make sure of that.

Pulling the stones from the pouch, she struck them together as Tsubaki's scream rang out. Sparks danced across the dried hay ceiling and caught fire faster than Sango had anticipated. The first explosion knocked Sango off the roof and sent her rolling to the floor as the other's went off right after the first. Angry roars escaped the burning hut as large pieces of wood and hay landed next to the demon exterminator, the orange flames flickering green and back to orange again.

Louder cries reached her ears and Sango's eyes landed on the burning form of what she thought was Tsubaki being attacked by a demon of hell. The demon exterminator scrambled to her feet as long black locks of hair darted out everywhere, cerulean eyes burning like fire as it fought an unknown opponent. The Evil priestess screamed, her shrill voice going from a loud shriek into husky laughter as pain filled eyes turned from black to red, the hell demon fading and disappearing into a large cloud of grey miasma.

Those eyes watched Sango with mirth as her hands groped for the katana that had fallen from her grasp earlier. Somehow she wished she was still lost in the trance of murderous vengeance, not thinking about anything, not caring, but staring into the large orbs Naraku's eyes she couldn't help but wish that she wasn't alone.

"S-ssango," his baritone voice whispered seductively. "Have you come here to join your beloved and allow me to give you the privilege of dying honorably? I feel flattered."

She narrowed her eyes as she grasped the hilt of her katana and stood shakily to her feet. She could feel her blood boiling, she would not allow him to get to her, she would destroy him once and for all and have fun doing it.

"You shouldn't be," she snarled in return taking a step closer, the blood-stained blade shining from the fire light surrounding them in heaps, "because I've come to kill you."

His laughter was loud and she growled again as his eyes turned to cold orbs of red. Taking a fighting stance, Sango sounded out her battle cry as she lunged at the evil half demon, her blade nicking an arm, but with the flick of his wrist had Sango skidding across the grass, her body rolling and tumbling to a stop a few feet away. His ebony hair billowed without the wind, fluttering by itself as though it were alive and his fists clenched as he turned towards her.

"Don't think you can defeat me demon slayer," Naraku spat, "you'll be dead a hundred times before you can even lay a scratch on my body."

However, the arm she had hit with her katana bubbled and grew in size and she could only quickly get to her feet and watch in something a kin to horror as it became large enough to fit a body and the twitching and spasming flesh, sliding from his arm and jiggling like a lump of lard. Sango's stomach churned as the enormous sack broke and a woman's body slid out from the slime, a plume of miasma escaping from the seemingly regurgitated skin.

Skin bubbled and blisters burst, a sickening pop and more puss oozing from the opened wounds. Singed hair hit Sango's nostrils and a woman's scream erupted from the lump of flesh as it begun to melt. It was Tsubaki, and Sango held a hand to her mouth as the remains of the evil priestess still screamed the chanting words, the skin slipping off of her hands and body, dripping and hitting the ground around her as the orange flames turned black and then green.

Naraku's grin was sadistic as he watched his host being reduced to a puddle of melted flesh, bones, and muscles. What a waste of a perfectly good body, although, the priestess deserved what she had coming to her for thinking she could deceive him.

"We are both a like demon slayer," Naraku cooed, his arms lazily crossing his chest as he stared at her with amusement.

"I am nothing like you," she was on her feet again and ready to charge at any given opportunity.

The evil half demon came closer, his purple haori fluttering with each passing step. He was getting pleasure watching her trembling with uncertainty, at the fact that he knew that she was in no condition to face him now, or ever. He would win, yes and he would make this entire place his and no one would be able to stop him. The demon's of hell couldn't escape him, and neither would any pathetic human, priestess, or half-breed.

"To the contrary Sango," he was merely feet away and closing in, "we are more similar than you think. I killed a priestess because she betrayed me, and so have you."

"I am nothing like you!" She screamed as she rammed her katana into Naraku's chest.

His laughter filled her head as she stared open eyed at him, his red eyes staring hypnotically into her own as her body trembled. The long ebony hair that tumbled down his back pierced through Sango's shoulders and elbows, ripping the muscles and tearing through the bones as her katana lay embedded in her own chest.

She could smell the miasma drifting into her nostrils as the mask fell from her face and crashed onto the ground with a thunk sound. How had he- How was it possible, she had stabbed him, hadn't she? The tentacle like hair was the only thing holding her up as she stared unblinking into his now cerulean eyes, his white teeth glistening as he cockily smiled at her. Blood dripped unceremoniously from her fingertips as she tried to find the strength to attack; however, it was pointless because she knew she was dying and that in the end it was Naraku who had won.

"What do you have to say for yourself?" Naraku's voice was so close to her, so lulling that she fought from drifting into the blackness that danced across her vision.

A flash of silver and red caught her eyes and blood dribbled out of the side of her mouth as she stared past Naraku, past the burning hut and it all made sense. Closing her eyes Sango let a ragged sigh escape from her throbbing chest and the tears began to fall.

"I'm sorry InuYasha."

The sound of a large object whizzing through the air was heard and her chest lurched as she was speared to Naraku's body by a jingling object. There was no way she could ask for forgiveness, but she was happy that he let her have her freedom to be with her loved ones. Everything would be okay now, Sango understood that and with the last of her strength she smiled before drifting into the darkness.

InuYasha wasn't too far behind Sango's trail, he could smell her scent clearly in the air and he darted past a tree following the blood on the demon slayer's hands. He wasn't thinking clearly, the excruciating pain of losing Kagome was reeking havoc on his heart and loosening the holds that he had left on his sanity. While he had been running earlier he had come across Miroku's staff in the oddest of places, laying in between the roots of the Goshinboku tree. How that was possible since Sango had thrown in to the ground earlier before storming off from the village was beyond him.

He had picked it up anyway and took it with him and now the cold metal of the staff was digging into his palm as well as his claws as he ran faster, the jingling of the staff constantly plucking away the barriers that he had placed up in order to keep the demon inside himself from breaking loose. The fowl scent of fire and the smoke rising out of the trees grabbed his attention and he growled smelling Naraku's scent overpowering anything else within the vicinity of the direction InuYasha was going in.

The staff was burning the flesh of his hand as InuYasha saw red, his legs propelling him through the thick foliage and into the forest canopy. Crescent shaped dugs bled and the blood dripped down the staff and mixed with the rest of the smells that drove the hanyou crazy. His fangs were digging into his lips as he glared daggers into the back of his enemies. He stood there like a stone, watching as Naraku rose from the ashes like a phoenix, the cerulean red eyes, and as both Tsubaki and Sango fell.

He wanted to laugh and was barely able to subdue the chuckle itching in his throat, he wanted them all dead and out of his way. Sango would fall to Naraku and then InuYasha would take down the evil half demon and the next step was shrouded in mystery. InuYasha didn't know what he was going to do afterward, nor did he care, he just wanted for them all to die slowly, painfully, and by his hands… He could practically taste their blood on his lips.

The tears he had cried for Kagome had dried on his face, dirt and blood covering his cheeks as his dangerous eyes watched Naraku the way a lion does before the hunt. He was bloodthirsty and the ears on top of his head twitched in delight from the painful sounds of his once comrade Sango. She was dead to him, they all would be in a matter of moments when the moment was right.

The flames changed around the scene and InuYasha caught the green glow, Naraku had tried absorbing a hell demon, he could smell it as plain as day and InuYasha smirked glancing down at the staff burning deeper into his flesh. Naraku wouldn't get a chance to complete the absorption and get stronger, he wouldn't even have the chance to successfully kill anyone else because it was InuYasha's turn to step up to bat.

His blood red and blue eyes captured Sango's dull brown and it was at the minute she registered that he wasn't there to save her. Pulling the staff up InuYasha took his stance and laughed before throwing it like a spear at the two people a few leaping distances away. It flew faster than it would have originally and as it ripped threw Naraku's back and into Sango's flesh a loud howl escaped InuYasha and he charged.

Naraku didn't have time to blink as InuYasha attacked, claws drawn and sinking into flesh. Blood rained down on the two half demons as Naraku ripped the staff from his body, a cry of pain ripping from his mouth as the metal object tore through bones and muscles, its purifying powers cauterizing the wounds preventing them from closing as quickly. Sango's body fell to the ground in a lump, the staff sticking straight out of her chest, her katana underneath her split down the middle.

InuYasha's claws dug into Naraku's chest, tearing out the muscle and ripping the flesh off of him as Naraku's miasma burned his skin and his tentacles ripped through his own body. Tetsusaiga pulsed at his side again more desperately but InuYasha merely ignored it as he continued, his claws dislocating Naraku's left shoulder and ripping it from it's socket. All he could do was think about more carnage, more blood, more death and not about his own welfare as Naraku's miasma seeped into his body and began taking its toll on his innards.

Thrown back from the mixture of miasma and large tentacles, InuYasha laughed as he opened his clenched fist from his place on the ground, the gleaming white muscles surrounded in a puddle of blood gazing up at him pathetically. Digging his claws into Naraku's eye, the hanyou climbed to his feet and stared at his opponent; the evil half demon was a self-proclaimed evil mastermind, but when push came to shove InuYasha knew that Naraku couldn't size up. Tetsusaiga continued to pulse at his side, this time more powerfully and the Inu hanyou chuckled as Naraku's tentacles surrounded him like a thousand swords and spears, he wasn't afraid of a little pinprick.

"Do you feel it yet Naraku?" Knuckles cracked as InuYasha crouched down, his eyes in thin slits. "Do you hear it yet?"

Naraku answered with a loud howl as the tentacles surged to stab InuYasha and in the blink of an eye he was gone, the only sound being the air as it was sucked into the tiny capacity where all the tentacles interlaced. There was no blood, no feel of muscles twitching in death, no warmth of victory. Naraku frowned standing there as he with drew the tentacles into his body, his lips nothing but a thin line. He couldn't feel the pathetic hanyou anywhere and it bothered him, how could InuYasha just vanish?

The face was that he couldn't. "Can you hear it Naraku? Cause I can," InuYasha's voice was husky and filled with laughter and as Naraku turned around, he saw the silver haired mongrel standing behind him. His haori bleeding red and Tetsusaiga pulsing almost violently in his hands. There wasn't even time to react as InuYasha swung the massive sword, Naraku couldn't move an inch and the blade swiftly sliced through the evil hanyou's jugular and crushed the bones of his spinal cord.

Without even a fight, Naraku fell to a heap onto the ground, his head rolling a few inches away and coming to a stop, one dark red eye staring at InuYasha filled with surprise. Tetsusaiga fell to the ground a moment later, InuYasha breathing heavily as he stared at the carnage of the area. It was nothing but a wasteland, blood littering the ground like fresh snow and snorting, he walked away from the scene like it was just another demon extermination.

He walked for what seemed like hours, just wandering aimlessly, his legs feeling like a ton, his chest hurting and his vision blurring and it felt like the entire world was ready to collapse around him. Walking seemed to be harder than anything else and his fingers and legs cramped as he came out of the thicket, tiny beads of sweat glistening the top of his brows and forehead.

The grass was slick under his feet and he tried to keep himself on his feet, though he tripped over a rough patch and went tumbling down the small hill and when he stopped his entire body was throbbing as though he had been beaten repeatedly with a large boulder. What was happening to him? Why could he barely get himself to his knees before he felt like he was going to throw up his entire entrails?

Not able to walk, InuYasha crawled his way away from everything he knew. There was nothing left for him at the village, nothing left in the forest, he was all alone now and he had made it that way. He was angry at himself, angry that he lost control, angry that he couldn't keep Kagome safe like he wanted to. It was killing him on the inside, he could feel himself dying and it hurt like a bitch.

Stopping to catch a breather, InuYasha closed his eyes and tried his hardest to relax, but it wasn't working. His nerves were shot and now he was shaking all over, his breathing coming out in heavy erratic breaths. What he would give to just be able to start all over, for things to have had a different outcome, a different ending was all he wanted. Opening his eyes InuYasha forced himself to glance around and a sharp pain clutched his heart as he stared at what he knew to be Kagome's body.

A quiet sob escaped his throat as he stared at her. Damn it, why couldn't he be stronger? Why did things have to go so wrong? Sitting up as best as he could InuYasha's head lolled over onto his shoulder and all he could do was stare at her. Stare and hold back the sobs that he wanted so desperately to let loose. Silver hair fell over his face, the tips and some strands stained red and InuYasha wondered how pathetic he looked, feet away from the women he loved but unable to touch her.

Tears swelled in his eyes blurring his vision and he bit down on his lower lip as a cough racked his body, phlegm and blood landing on his haori sleeve. Whatever Naraku had done to him would surely kill him and he could faintly feel the pain ebbing back into his body, making him aware of every tiny bruise and broken flesh on his body. A gentle wind blew passed him and for a fleeting moment it felt like a hand was caressing his face and it broke his heart even more.

"InuYasha," the wind was torturing him, making him think that he was hearing her say his name.

His name was repeated again and this time when he looked up he could no longer see Kagome's body, in fact he no longer could see anything besides an endless sea of black. Was he dead, he wondered craning his neck to look around only to see the inky blackness all around.

"It's okay InuYasha you're not dead," the voice wasn't Kagome's he realized, it was familiar though, very familiar.

"Where am I?" He asked, waving his hand in front of his face and seeing it blur in front of his eyes as if it was moving faster than he could see it.

It grew colder, so cold that he could see the white plumes of his breath as he exhaled and the sounds of feet colliding with solid ground jerked his head to the left and he saw her walking towards him with a swanlike grace. Hair as black as the night, eyes that matched it and a priestess outfit that he knew all too well. She had a sad smile on her face as she neared him, her skin as white as the air that exited his opened mouth. If he wasn't dead then why could he see her? She was dead so if he could see her wouldn't that mean he too was also among the non-living?

"It's been a long time hasn't it?" She asked ignoring his question and kneeling next to him.

Her hand brushed across his face and gooseflesh covered his skin, but he leaned into the touch with familiarity. She was a face that he hadn't seen in decades, and he hadn't realized how much he had missed her until his eyes found her. Her lips brushed his forehead and his throat swelled and a lump formed not allowing him to utter anything but a gargling sound.

"Everyone's dead," his voice cracked as he stared at her, his eyes stinging with more tears. "I let them all die Kikyo, every last one of them and I couldn't stop it."

"Hush," She pulled his head to rest on her boosum as she ran her cold fingers through his stained hair. "You didn't do anything wrong InuYasha, it's not your fault. It's not your fault and we'll fix it don't worry."

Fix it? How could they fix it when you couldn't bring the dead back to life and have it be all peachy keen again? His claws clutched the materials of Kikyo's clothing and he held her as tightly as he could. He wanted to fix things, he wanted to so desperately that he was willing to give up anything if only just to give back what was stolen. She was wrong when she said that it wasn't his fault, because InuYasha knew that it was, deep down in his very bones he knew that it was. He wasn't strong enough to save anyone, wasn't strong enough to protect the women that he loved.

"I don't wanna be alone Kikyo," tears found their way out of his eyes and he couldn't stop the flow as he let loose his sobs. "I don't wanna live without her, I love Kagome so much."

A smile came to her face and she pulled away from her hanyou, "I know you do InuYasha."

"I just wanted her to be happy," he went on trying to pull Kikyo back into his arms. "I just want her to have a happy life with me, I want Kagome…."

I know you do, she thought standing tall gazing down at the half demon she had once loved while she had been alive. Closing her eyes, she whispered a prayer before disappearing back into the blackness along with everyone else who had stood by watching.

"It's going to hurt," she whispered to him as a final goodbye, "but it has to be this way."

InuYasha sat there pathetically staring into nothing and he could only go limp as the prickles of pain began at his toes and surged forwards. She had said that it would hurt and at first he thought she had meant emotionally; however, this kind of pain was something entirely new to him. It felt like his skin was being ripped from his flesh a layer at a time; his bones being split in half and sockets being torn out of place as his muscles were tore roughly from the bone. His head was pounding and he could barely hear himself as he screamed bloody murder. His hair was torn from his head, his ears cut from his scalp and as stars danced across his vision he could see his life being played out before his eyes.

It was from end to beginning, all of it being emptied from his brain, being erased and he screamed for it to come back to him. He reached out as his fingers bent backwards, the bones snapping through the skin and cutting his face. He was being stabbed all over, pushed, pulled thumped in so many places that he couldn't do anything, he was powerless to stop it. Kagome was the last thing he saw, her smiling face glowing gently as if she had been there all along and he couldn't even get his voice to work as she turned around and walked away from him, her green skirt fluttering as she went further and further away from him.

Come back, he mentally screamed. Please come back, don't leave me here like this! Kagome… KAGOME!

It all faded, the way her eyes dance, she smiled and waved to him and it all faded away. His mind was racing, a thousand thoughts per second, the wind in his hair, his claws clutching something hard and round and all he could think about was getting away from something. Memories flooded in his mind and everything else was gone in an instant.

Trees flew past him as he ran, his ears twitching trying to keep alert as he tried to flee whatever was behind him chasing him. The scent of blood was fresh in his nose, the smell of flames and burning hay making his nose itch and he had the urge to sneeze.

Glancing down at the hard object in his hand he saw a round jewel, it was the Shikon jewel and a grin flew to his face. With this… I can become a true demon, he told himself.

"INUYASHA!" He turned suddenly to the sharp voice and she stood there a yard or two away from him, an angry face molded onto her beautiful pale face.

His body hit the tree behind him with a thunk as an arrow pierced his chest pinning him, the jewel falling from his hands onto the ground below him, his amber eyes watching in disbelief. His blood was racing as he looked back up at her, his hand reaching out to her black eyes, still not comprehending why she held a bow in her hand or why there was a sacred arrow embedded in his chest.

"Kik-Kikyo," he whispered as his vision danced, sleep suddenly overpowering him and dragging him into unconsciousness.

Kikyo…

This blackness, he remembered it, remembered it very well and as hard as he could he tried to free himself from the blackness and get revenge on the woman who killed him. His anger was overpowering, sweltering, growing as he was stuck there in the emptiness. He didn't know how long he was there, just sitting there like a fool, but for as long as it was it didn't matter as the light seeped in, his body pulsing and drawing him into that expanding light.

Someone was calling him, he realized, someone needed his help and was begging for him to save them. His ears twitched as his body pulsed again, his eyes snapping open to the blackness of the forest surrounding him. He could smell her, smell her as clearly as day, it was Kikyo and she was still alive.

His claws flexed and he stared down at the roots that intertwined around his chest, around the sacred arrow that held him prisoner to the enormous tree he was against. The leaves blew in an eerie wind and InuYasha sniffed as a young girl ran towards him, tripping and falling to the ground as a gigantic centipede nearly took off her head. It was Kikyo, he could smell her, he could see her… and what in the hell was she wearing?

Gruffly he insulted her, why couldn't she finish off such a lowly demon? After all he was strong than that damn centipede and she had wasted no time in finishing him off? Why play with small game when there were bigger fish to fry? She looked insulted and tried yelling at him but failed as the demon attacked her once again. Damn he was getting irritated quickly. Villagers came and speared the demon, pulling it away from Kikyo like it could possibly do serious damage to her. She was Kikyo, Priestess Kikyo, why the hell would she use the aid of the pathetic villagers to help her kill a demon when she was more than capable to deal with it herself?

He insulted her more and her eyes blazed like a flame from hell as she yelled at him moving closer.. She had to be Kikyo, she was just stupid liar, but then, then why? She wasn't Kikyo… How could he have been wrong? It wasn't Kikyo..

"Now I get it," she said angrily, "My name's Kagome. KA GO ME!"

His body pulsed and he knew deep down that he knew her… that there was something different, but what?

****

The End.

E/N: OMG! I can't believe that this story is actually over now, my brain is having a hard time processing it still! lol Wow, it's been going on for almost three years now... I'm stuck in nostalgia or something. I had originally planned on having an alternate ending, but I liked this one better, becuase there was more mystery, and it was something different, well at least I think so. THANK YOU for everyone who has read and reviewed! I love you guys so much! ****

Well I'll be working on my other stories now... Please go check them out if you liked this one and haven't already! w00t! Thank you once again for being so supportive, I love you all!

-Krystal-

OMG! I can't believe that this story is actually over now, my brain is having a hard time processing it still! lol Wow, it's been going on for almost three years now... I'm stuck in nostalgia or something. I had originally planned on having an alternate ending, but I liked this one better, becuase there was more mystery, and it was something different, well at least I think so. THANK YOU for everyone who has read and reviewed! I love you guys so much! 


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